Makan

In the 80 's city parks often were designed at the outskirts of the city. In one way to give residents a new district park, on the other to serve as a corridor for the ever-expanding city. One of these parks consists out of large grass plains with hedgerows and a wadi (a ditch) in the middle that captures the urban rain water. Makan is asked to develop a garden for such a grassy plain that belongs to this landscape.

The concept is polder garden (reclaimed land/ diked marsh) as a reference to the surrounding landscape. The garden will be created over the years by selective mowing. Some parts of the garden are mowed once a year other parts 2 times a year and some parts once in the two weeks. By the different mowing regime different patterns are created in the landscape. The hay is removed so indigenous herbs & flowers are stimulated to develop, this benefits the biodiversity of this predominantly monoculture park.

Visitors walking in the spring in the flowering meadow that is slowly changing in colour, height and texture throughout the seasons. The short mown grass lanes go over fluently in the steel grid roofing. This canopy provides shade and protection from the wind.

The whole design is spacious and challenges you to play and stay. The construction is strong and vandal proof.

In the wadi (a ditch) there are a number of hammocks made of thick shipping rope. The hammock can take a beating, and tolerate rain water when the wadi fills up. The hammocks hangs between thick concrete blocks and can keep a group of people. This all creates the polder garden, as a place where you can look at the meadow in your hammock and forget the city.