Nordrhein-Westfalen

Since 2004, the bdla nw has been awarding the North Rhine-Westphalian Landscape Architecture Prize, which has since become an institution. In 2024, the Association of German Landscape Architects NRW awarded prizes to seven projects and a joint special prize for five projects!

From October 30 to mid-November, the award-winning projects can be viewed in an exhibition at the Baukunstarchiv NRW in Dortmund.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, the award ceremony for the nrw.landschaftsarchitektur.preis 2024 took place in the Erich Brost Pavilion at Zeche Zollverein in Essen. Around 200 guests accepted the invitation from the Association of German Landscape Architects NRW (bdla nw) and celebrated the award winners. They also examined the new award brochure and took the opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues. The jury, chaired by Prof. Katja Benfer, unanimously selected seven entries from 29 submissions that address future topics and create innovative, impressive and sustainable landscape experiences. All 29 projects are presented in a brochure. This can be downloaded at www.baukultur.nrw/publikationen can be ordered or downloaded.

Sponsors of the nrw.landschaftsarchitektur.preis 2024 are the companies RINN Beton- und Naturstein GmbH undamp; Co. KG and Lorberg Quality Plants GmbH undamp; Co. KG and the Verband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau NRW e.V.

About Baukultur North Rhine-Westphalia

Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen is the state's institution for building culture. We initiate, organize, network and communicate current building culture topics. To this end, Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen cooperates with many partners and supports exemplary third-party projects. With its own Museum of Baukultur, Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen presents and stages important social issues and developments - in NRW and beyond its borders. This form of a mobile museum of building culture is unique worldwide. Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen brings together the work of the associations StadtBauKultur NRW and Museum für Architektur und Ingenieurkunst NRW (M:AI), which have been responsible for and implemented building culture topics since 2001.
Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen is funded by the Ministry of Regional Identity, Communities and Local Government, Building and Digitalization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. https://www.baukultur.nrw

Three projects were awarded the nrw.landschaftsarchitektur.preis 2024, two further projects received recognition and two projects were awarded the Future Prize. Since the award was opened up to projects of a conceptual nature, the Association of German Landscape Architects in NRW has once again shown what the profession is capable of achieving in the fields of climate adaptation and ecological revitalization beyond classic object planning in monument and landscape protection. This year, the jury also awarded a joint special prize for a regional strategy with five individual projects.

The award winners

Franz Reschke Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH from Berlin was awarded a prize for its Blücherplatz Spenge project. The jury particularly emphasized the sparingly placed, carefully detailed, high-quality building blocks. The result is a dignified square in this small community that does outstanding justice to its role as a stage.

With the St. Viktor church square in Dülmen, Lohaus Carl Köhlmos PartGmbB Landschaftsarchitekten Stadtplaner from Hanover delivered a design in which the design interventions are so naturally placed and very restrained, as if it had actually always been like this. The jury particularly praised this approach to the surroundings of St. Viktor's Church: "The church remains the main protagonist, the exterior space takes a back seat and focuses on good details, sustainable materials and gives the ensemble back its appropriate dignity. The concept thus finds its place among the traces of history that this place tells. Landscape architecture 'serves' the urban space."

Another prize was awarded to Landschaftsarchitektur Vennemann from Dorsten, which designed the new Westerholt colliery in Gelsenkirchen. The jury praised the exciting superimposition of past and future created with the scarcest of means using found materials. No additional material was brought in or taken away, components and demolition material were processed into new recyclable materials, the concept and implementation think in cycles; the design idea is therefore also exemplary for future resource-saving, sustainable construction.

Two awards were also presented: One award went to the Bochum-based firm wbp Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH for the design of the Kreuztal sports campus. The project is exemplary for the topic of "Building in Existing Contexts" and features a consistently high-quality but unpretentious design. The design idea turned a former passageway into a communicative center between schools and sports halls, an arena encloses a central green area in which a formerly piped stream comes into its own again.

The second award went to Franz Reschke Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH from Berlin for the 2023 Höxter State Garden Show. With its concept for the old town ring, Weserbogen, archaeological park and castle garden, a varied but also unifying design bracket has been created for the historic site on the Weser, which will also create new perspectives for city life and tourism for the city beyond the (successful state) garden show.

Two future prizes were awarded this year: One went to the planning office dtp Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH from Essen for Der Park kommt in die Stadt Herten. The jury particularly praised the participatory approach to planning. "A process was initiated that is more than just the redesign of a city center," wrote the authors in their application and continued: "It is about new narratives, about involving local people, about new images for our cities and new qualities in living together. The story we are telling is: The park is coming to the city!"

The second Future Prize was awarded to Kienleplan GmbH from Leinfelden-Echterdingen. The jury awarded the prize to the Dortmund greening plan project, as it offers politicians and administrators a guide to action based on facts and calculations that provides reliable and predictable evidence of where problems are developing and which solution strategies are effective. "This is the 'scientific' approach to climate adaptation and it is also justified, as it provides important guidelines for resilient, future-proof urban planning," said the jury.

For the first time, the jury awarded a special prize for aregional district park strategy with five site developments in the Ruhr metropolis. Together, the planning offices ST Freiraum Landschaftsarchitekten Markus Schürmann for the Revierpark Vonderort Oberhausen, brandenfels landscape environment for the Revierpark Wischlingen Dortmund, Landschaft Planen und Bauen for the Revierparks Mattlerbusch Duisburg and Nienhausen Gelsenkirchen and Büro Drecker for the Revierpark Gysenberg Herne received this award. Created in the 1960s as a new type of park, it was due for a makeover following structural and population changes - a task to which the Ruhr Regional Association devoted itself intensively. The offices succeeded in implementing unifying design principles on the one hand and local characteristics on the other. The (garden) historical heritage was respected, while at the same time contemporary and future-oriented demands were met through carefully placed interventions.

Promoting bold and creative landscape architecture

The Association of German Landscape Architects in North Rhine-Westphalia has awarded the nrw.landschaftsarchitektur.preis 2024 for the eleventh time. The award recognizes projects, planners and clients whose work is exemplary because it promotes high-quality, socially and ecologically oriented settlement and landscape development, climate adaptation strategies and contemporary, bold and creative landscape architecture in North Rhine-Westphalia. Conceptual designs and projects are also eligible.

In cooperation with the bdla nw, Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen is publishing a brochure on the nrw.landschaftsarchitektur.preis 2024, which presents all participants in the competition and their projects. The brochure can be ordered free of charge from bdla nw and Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen. The nrw.landschaftsarchitektur.preis 2024 is supported by Rinn Beton- und Naturstein GmbH undamp; Co KG, Lorberg Quality Plants GmbH undamp; Co KG and the Verband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau NRW. During the award ceremony, all winners were presented with a trophy. The trophy is a two-tone piece of exposed concrete with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia on a pedestal. The winning projects are each named and located on it. The trophies were donated by the sponsor Rinn.

Archive information

Prizes 2022

Greenbox Landschaftsarchitekten Hubertus Schäfer Markus Pieper PartG mbB from Cologne were awarded a prize for their project Spielraum für Alle - Neue Freiräume in der Sozialen Stadt Bernberg. The jury praised the "high design, social and functional quality and the system-inherent participation of the citizens".

"With the ecological revitalization of Westerwaldstrasse in Cologne, WES Landschaftsarchitektur has delivered a plan that demonstrates in an exemplary manner the role of landscape architecture in the integral planning of challenges posed by climate change, soil pollution and social segregation," was the jury's verdict on the award to the landscape architects from Hamburg.

Another prize was awarded to bbzl böhm benfer zahiri landschaften städtebau from Berlin, which designed the Kamp-Lintfort 2020 State Garden Show - Colliery Park and Neighborhood Square. The jury recognized a multifaceted and contemporary landscape park that takes on a variety of tasks.

For the first time, the jury also awarded a Future Prize. This went to L-A-E Landschaftsarchitekten Ehrig undamp; Partner mbB for the Glacis Minden maintenance and development concept. The jury paid particular tribute to the fact that the office had set out on a challenging path beyond all the popular buzzwords - the office's garden-historical expertise was complemented by a highly sophisticated analysis in the field of soil and vegetation science.

The jury also awarded three commendations. The Osnabrück office Lohaus Carl Köhlmos for the redesign of Konrad-Adenauer-Platz Gütersloh. The project is exemplary for the perseverance and persuasiveness of the landscape architects and for the climatic and social welfare effect of inner-city green spaces. The second award went to wbp Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH from Bochum for the student housing / Variowohnen in Bochum. "The design with a shared environment with three courtyard situations is unpretentious, usable, but also innovative and technically up to date," said the jury. The third award went to the planning office dtp Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH from Essen for the development study Flusslandschaft Mittleres Ruhrtal. The jury particularly appreciated the fact that the themes of the Middle Ruhr Valley were carefully identified in this work and convincingly translated into images. Images that inspire (and encourage) us to enhance, strengthen and present regional qualities.

Prizes 2020

Landscape architect Volker Püschel from Mettmann was awarded a prize for the design of a house garden in Düsseldorf. The jury praised the planning and implementation of this ruined garden with "high aesthetic quality in materiality, detail and use of plants".

With the design of Fritz-Kühn-Platz in Iserlohn, scape Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH provided an exemplary solution to the almost prototypical problem of designing a "green center"," was the jury's verdict on the award to the landscape architects from Düsseldorf.
The third prize was awarded to the planning office DTP Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH from Essen, which designed the Westerholt leisure facility in Herten: "With a high-quality and appealing design concept with unconventional details, barriers were broken down here and spaces and offers were created for a wide range of user and age groups," said the jury, explaining its decision.

The jury also awarded a commendation to Duisburg-based landscape architects Danielzik Leuchter Partner Landschaftsarchitekten for their tree planting project in Bochum. The project demonstrates the importance of landscape architecture for climate protection and living conditions in the city: "Overall, the concept presented is an impressive look at the 'technology' of the modern 'sponge' city of tomorrow."
The second award went to landscape architects Holzapfel-Herziger undamp; Benesch PartG mbB from Hamburg for the redesign of the market square in Bünde. "The design impresses with a high (urban) spatial quality, with the carefully placed rows of trees and avenues, an open, multifunctional square space fits into the urban layout. The materials are carefully chosen, robust and sustainable, and the quality of implementation is high."

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Prices 2018

Rheinische Bahn - RS21_ The establishment of new forms of mobility in metropolitan areas shows that high-speed cycle paths can be more than just sober traffic lanes from A to B. Winner: Danielzik, Leuchter Partner, landscape architects bdla from Duisburg

WaldKurPark_ In Bad Lippspringe, an innovative path from forest to park, to forest park. Award winner: SINAI Gesellschaft von Landschaftsarchitekten mbH from Berlin

Auengarten am Rhein_ A well-proportioned garden has been created with few resources in the transition between the settlement and the floodplain. Winner: Brigitte Röde, landscape architect bdla from Cologne

Seepark Körbecke Möhnesee_ A site that has been reshaped in many ways and whose relationships have been disrupted is redefined with a grand gesture, a landscape staircase that reaches deep into the land. Award winner: wbp Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH from Bochum

Prizes 2016
The jury awarded one prize each for the projects Stadtumbau Innere Hustadt (here Hufelandplatz and connecting axis in the district), Bochum, by Danielzik und Leuchter Landschaftsarchitekten, Duisburg, and Grüne Mitte Essen by Scape Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Düsseldorf, as landscape architecture has given entire districts a completely new quality in a special way. Both offices had to deal with problem districts: In Bochum with a typical large housing estate from the 1970s, in Essen with a brownfield site on the edge of the city center. While in Bochum's large housing estate Innere Hustadt, citizen participation and the creation of identity-forming spaces in existing buildings were highlighted, other aspects led to a prize in Essen. In the district, which was partially built from scratch, the convincing design language with which water was incorporated into the urban space in a forward-looking way and the creation of a high-quality green connection in a heterogeneous environment were particularly worthy of an award.

Awards 2016
The offices of RMP Stephan Lenzen Landschaftsarchitekten from Bonn and Geskes Hack from Berlin each received an award for their designs for the town of Zülpich. The plans for the Park am Wallgraben and the Seepark were created as part of the 2014 State Garden Show. With these awards, the jury praised the new impetus for urban development through outstanding planning on the one hand and, on the other, highlighted the urban development effectiveness of garden shows.

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Prizes 2014

A total of 22 projects were submitted for the nrw.landschaftsarchitektur.preis 2014. Four projects were awarded prizes. The prizes went to Thomas Dietrich, Planergruppe GmbH Oberhausen for the Schalker Verein Gelsenkirchen project, to Ehm Eike Ehrig, L-A-E LandschaftsArchitektur Ehrig undamp; Partner (Bielefeld) for the Johannisberg Bielefeld project, to Ulrike Böhm, bbzl böhm benfer zahiri landschaften städtebau (Berlin) for the Nordpark Pulheim project and to Jutta Wakob, LILL SPARLA Landschaftsarchitekten (Cologne) for the Zoobrücke Köln family park project.

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