LGS Hemer 2010

The “Himmelsgärten” (sky gardens) and “Felsensteg” (rock footbridge) connect Hemer to the landscape. The “Himmelsgärten” extend an urban axis over the grounds of the former barracks and lead to the new lookout tower. The “Felsensteg” connects Felsenpark – a sports and recreation park – with Felsenmeer and terminates as a cantilevered platform with a panoramic view of the unique karst landscape. The barracks is being converted into a KulturQuartier (cultural quarter). Shimmering “green ribbons” divide the KulturQuartier and the adjacent WohnQuartier (residential quarter) and dissolve the prevailing austerity. A large square populated with Fraxinus angustifolia and Gymnocladus dioicus trees and a water basin with water spouts creates a new centre. The WohnQuartier is divided into strips of staggered detached, semi-detached and terraced houses. The strips are still to be leased or used for public purposes in a phased development. The lookout tower, a landscape crown visible from afar, is Hemer’s new landmark. The experience of ascending it is enriched by a multiplicity of paths – a visitor can move from one tower volume to the other via the columns, enabling circulation in the tower without two-way traffic.