Market square and Lammegarten

A stage for nature and town history! The old town of Bad Salzdetfurth, characterized by half-timbered buildings, is reconnected with nature with the help of two elementary changes and is transformed into a memorable, identity-forming place.

The newly designed market square is as unified and unagitated as possible, making the historic half-timbered buildings in the old town the main protagonists. The redesign has created a spacious, level, homogeneously paved square without any disruptive fixtures. The idea of a multifunctional shared space is supported by a few deliberately placed design elements. The benches arranged around the edges of the square frame the space and allow many directions of view. To remind people of the town's history and keep it alive, the street furniture known as the "Salzdetfurth half-timbered bench" was developed from the half-timbering that characterizes the town.

Where the Lamme used to be accessible at its widest point via a bathhouse and was finally separated from the town center by a bank wall, there is now once again free access to the river. An appropriately sized set of steps connects the town with the water level. Here too, the existing substance - natural space and water garden - is placed on the stage, while the staircase functions as an auditorium. In front of the steps on the water side is the Lamme garden, which extends under the pedestrian bridge as a connecting element and, with its wetland biotope, places a special focus on the Lamme.

Award Public space as the centerGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2023

Jury verdict:
In the town center of Bad Salzdetfurth, the newly designed market square and the Lammegarten invite visitors to engage in a dialog. The dense urban space and the adjacent river Lamme are skillfully staged and connected by a stepped landscape. The project impresses with the use of a few deliberate measures and the careful treatment of the existing buildings. The existing qualities are brought into focus and showcased. The redesign of the market square takes a back seat and allows the historic half-timbered buildings of the old town to take center stage. This is supported by uniform natural stone paving, which optimizes the flow of traffic.

The Lammegarten sees itself as an antithesis to the urban cityscape, making the river landscape tangible and tangible again. The geometric seating blocks embedded in the course of the river form an exciting contrast to the interspersed natural-looking individual stones. The redesign shows that by strengthening the existing atmospheres and weaving them together with confidence, a unique place has been created that offers space for social life and experiencing nature in equal measure.