Heinrich Mayer Park and power station, Altbach

A "park under power" - with a few simple but clear means, usage possibilities and connections for numerous residents of the industrial area were created as part of compensatory measures.

The Neckar Island near Altbach is a commercial and industrial area that has developed rather haphazardly over the years, dominated by a combined heat and power plant. The creation of a park here as part of compensatory measures goes back to the architects Angerer Feuser. Involved with the planning of a new power plant block, they also wanted to enhance and open up the area around the power plant. Previously inaccessible to the residents, new paths make the area permeable and, with the park, also offer residential opportunities for leisure and recreation. The creation of near-natural and nature-like areas has also made it possible to create retreats and protected areas for fauna and flora.

The new landscape of industry, culture and nature has been developed from its landscape and urban planning context. Thus, the Altbach, which ran south of the railway, was opened up and designed as a flowing watercourse. At the same time, the old branch of the Neckar was extended and renaturalised by almost 200 metres and now functions as a stable buffer area to the adjacent landscape conservation area. The park reconnects Altbach directly with the Neckar and Deizisau via the Neckar Island. Pedestrians and cyclists can now reach the park and their work via a path with gentle ramps after widening the access to the railway underpass and removing stairs. The extensive excavation was used to generously model the terrain. While this does not undo the structures on the edge such as the depot and substation, it visibly integrates them into the surroundings better than before. Against the background of the spatial edges marked by rows of large trees and tree terraces, the strikingly designed park relief opens up a variety of possibilities for use and options for further development. This applies not least to the central lawn rondel with precisely designed slopes and terraces, which now connects water, meadows and paths as a multifunctional joint with a grand gesture.