Park Butzweilerhof Reference to the airport

A new park has been created on the former Butzweilerhof airport site in Cologne with reference to its former use.

The former airport site with its listed airport building is the centrepiece of an urban development area in Cologne-Ossendorf with extensive residential projects and commercial locations.

As part of this development, a public green space with extensive play and exercise facilities has been created on an almost triangular open area. The aim was to develop a facility that would do justice to this special location and the diverse demands of use.
The unobstructed expanse and the accompanying generosity are characteristic of the location and are strengthened by the spatial framework of the park: green arches of tree plantings, woody cushions, meadow strips and accompanying paths trace the northern and southern borders to the traffic roads and thus condense these sides of the triangle. The remaining third side to the east remains free of higher planting and directs the view to the listed building.

This opening triangle allows a generous lawn to emerge in its centre, strengthened by a circle of columnar trees and poles with breezes as the centre of the park layout, reminiscent of the airport's former circular grassy runway.

The playgrounds incorporate themes that relate to the former airport use and make it understandable and experiential for the children. Yellow signs with black symbols serve as signposts, e.g. a landing aircraft refers to the area "Arrival - Runway". Here an asphalted place invites to the Inlineskaten, scooter and bicycle driving.

In the play area "takeoff" everything stands beside a sand play and climbing equipment under the slogan faster higher farther: Different swings, two trampolines and a ropeway are ready for height flights. Playground equipment with black rubber belts is reminiscent of the "baggage drop-off and pick-up" at the airport and encourages balancing and spinning. The "tower" in the form of a spacenet forms the finale: to enjoy the overview. The play areas are complemented by a meeting place for ball sports enthusiasts with a football pitch, streetball field and table tennis table.

The material and colour concept follows a reduced approach that does not counteract the simplicity of the airport building, but underlines it: white, black, yellow and silver-grey as colours for all equipment and water-bound surfaces, EPDM, asphalt and concrete as materials.