playground of the Phoenix-Gymnasium in Dortmund

In the beginning

The transformation of the Emscher region is particularly visible in Dortmund's Hörde district with the Phoenix Lake. But a radical change also took place in the direct vicinity of the new city quarter: on the basis of the 2006 master plan, space was given back to the river so that a near-natural body of water can develop - the Emscher conversion generation project. The land required for this took up part of the existing schoolyard area of the Hörde grammar school. The reduction of the area was seen as an opportunity to redesign the large but rather dreary asphalt areas of the playground. In the competition held for this purpose at the end of 2012, the city of Dortmund not only demanded a high standard of design, but also an imaginative approach to the existing building. The limited budget only allowed a partial conversion of the areas; a large part of the existing building had to be retained and integrated into the concept in a meaningful way. Furthermore, the break areas were to be used by the entire district in the afternoon and evening hours, so that robustness played a major role in the concept.

The competition is won

With the newly created prominent location of the school directly on the landscape space of the Emscheraue, the unique opportunity presented itself to link the break areas of the Phoenix-Gymnasium with the new Emschertal. The concept of wbp Landschaftsarchitekten, which was awarded 1st prize and commissioned, takes up the linear structure of the new Emscherband and thus forms the backbone for the schoolyard.
Thus three different bands are formed parallel to the river: To the south is a ribbon that is already very green and which, due to the topography and the dense tree population, forms a spatial edge to the adjacent residential development. The break areas to the south of the school will be fenced in and used as internal garden courtyards only for the school. With minimal effort, the green spatial edge to the south will be strengthened with a clear frame, and the paved break areas will be given a simpler and clearer form.
The central development strip, which forms the main access to the school, will be continued to the Faßstrasse urban axis and will become the new, clearly perceptible entrance to the school. Trees already shape the linear character of the ribbon, with a few new plantings this ribbon will be completed. The tree fields punched into the paving create a pleasant green impression without impairing the usability of the break areas or the permeability to the open courtyard bordering to the north. The parking spaces are bordered with hedges along the long side only, blending into the ribbon. When not parked, the spaces can also be used as a play or event space. The central axis strengthens the visual relationship to the Phoenix site with the former magazine.
In the north, another ribbon along the Emscher closes off the schoolyard and creates new, exciting places and views of the Emscher course. The ribbon already forms an entrance to the school at the city entrance to Hörde and thus integrates the open spaces into the new paths in the Emscher floodplain.
The linear ribbons are connected with three transverse fields with different focal points of use. The fields rise slightly towards the Emscher, creating a variety of seating and recreational opportunities, sometimes on both sides, sometimes only to the outside - as an Emscher balcony.
On the western field, an active area is planned to create a variety of exercise opportunities for breaks, in the afternoon hours and for physical education classes.
The middle field creates a more quiet seating and retreat area, structured by bands of grasses. The seating borders of the fields overlay the existing trees, connecting the new structures with the existing, valuable ones.
The new entrance to the city is defined by a third field, which will not be realized until 2021, as the land has only recently been owned by the city.

The project starts with participation actions

With the competition concept, a strong basic framework was created, which could be jointly developed in further planning together with the pupils of the grammar school and the young people of the outreach youth work, the so-called 'rampe'.
The school was intensively involved in workshops, the highly motivated students presented their wishes for more greenery, more seating and niches in plans and models. The classic ping-pong table was on the wish list, as was zoning into active areas with climbing opportunities for the younger ones and separate meeting places for the older ones.
Parkour was for most, especially the younger ones rather foreign and respect-inspiring.
Already in the run-up to the competition, however, it was planned to provide a parkour facility. Attractive for the location of the plant on the schoolyard seemed above all that the pupils in their breaks in addition, in the extracurricular spare time with the up-to-date very popular sport "Parkour" can concern, activities both in the context of the physical education instruction and with continuously offered Workshops would be possible. In particular for the active local Parkour scene a sporty training area with high attractiveness would be created. But even if no use takes place, the parkour would create a place with a high design quality, which invites to stay.
In the workshops with the young people of the 'rampe', supported by the planners of proelan and together with the young people of the 'rampe', very differentiated and detailed considerations about parkour could already take place - almost all participants were already active in the parkour scene.
Unfortunately, the project parkour could not be realized due to the decree for "Safety promotion in school sports. Legal basis - School in NRW No. 1033" (from 2014) could not be realized. According to this decree, parkour facilities are generally considered to have an increased risk potential; the facility would have required qualified supervision, including during break times, and unsupervised use would have been prohibited during the entire school day. Thus, the desired opening and unrestricted use of the break yard for all could not be realized.
Together with the students, a bouldering facility was developed as an alternative. In a joint excursion to projects in the surrounding area, existing facilities could be tested, so that together with proelan a tailor-made solution for the Phoenix Gymnasium could be created.

The stormwater management is created

The 'Future Rainwater Agreement' of the Emschergenossenschaft with its funding programme could also be applied to the schoolyard. The rainwater management can thus be strengthened and to feed the Emscher with as much water as possible.
The surfaces and part of the roof areas of the school could be drained via surface gutters, which are integrated into the design of the entrance band, and fed to the Emscher in a throttled manner.
This way, the topic of rainwater and the natural course of water is also brought closer to the students in everyday life.

The final building block of the overall concept

The third field can now be built after the present area at the city entrance Hörde is also available and completes the overall concept with this last building block. The focus here is on games and sports for everyone and an inviting place at the entrance to the Hörde district: callisthenics and trampolines offer exercise opportunities for children, teenagers and young adults. A chill area under the preserved and re-used petrol station roof invites people to meet. Sloping lawns that can be used as sunbathing lawns alternate with butterfly meadows to provide a varied and usable space. This field will also be provided with a surrounding seating edge, which rises towards the Emscher and will be provided with the lettering Hörde. The special thing about this planning: right from the start, the offers were voted on in an online survey. With more than 1000 participations and diverse comments, a broad basis for the planning could be found. In 2022, another attractive place in Hörde will be realised.

back to overview

1. In the beginning
2. The competition is won
3. The project starts with participation actions
4. The stormwater management is created
5. The final building block of the overall concept