HEALTH GARDENS Klinikum Neustadt a.R. HEALTH

As part of a competition, an overarching artistic concept was developed for so-called "health gardens" at four different locations of the Hannover Region Clinic.
This resulted in concrete designs for the Neustadt am Rübenberge and Großburgwedel sites, which were presented as pilot projects in the Year of the Garden Region Hannover 2009.

The idea is to create a therapy opportunity for patients, but also to arouse interest among relatives or external people to go into the garden. In this way, part of the daily routine of the clinic is to be shifted outside. The patients can bring this step outside again a piece closer to normality.

The health garden at the hospital in Neustadt was aligned to the medical emphasis of the house orthopedics and physiotherapy. The contents of the garden were developed in intensive exchange with doctors, therapists and the hospital management. The garden is divided into two areas, which form a unit through path connections and visual relationships. With the walking garden and various training equipment, the active area provides numerous opportunities to reintroduce patients to the demands of everyday life with targeted exercises.
The walking garden consists of various floor coverings, such as cobblestones, wood, sand or gravel and contains a short staircase as well as a ramp for walking exercises. Legs can be dangled on over-height chairs. Physical therapy as part of the hospital's daily routine can thus be moved outdoors, but the exercise stations are also available to family members and visitors.

The relaxation and communication area is equipped with seating, a sheltered fountain square and colorful perennial beds with fragrant and medicinal plants. At the junction between the two areas, a wooden deck is being created that simply invites you to "relax" or can be used as a stage for events.