IFLA Europe Exhibition ‘Reconsidering Nature’
‘Stantsionna Gradina’ Aerial Image. Photo Credit: Mihail Mihalev
After the great success of our first Exhibition ‘Landscape as a Common Ground’, IFLA Europe has organised the second edition entitled ‘Reconsidering Nature’.
The aim of the exhibition is to show the contemporary role of landscape architects in creating space. Its conventionally perceived task - to create and preserve beauty in the surrounding of human habitations - has expanded considerably. Environmental challenges, climate change and the living conditions of the inhabitants of larger and larger cities oblige us to take nature beyond the emphasis on aesthetic perspectives. In design, planning and management of landscapes, landscape architects face a contemporary challenge: thinking of nature as a subject, understanding its principles and respecting its needs
IFLA Europe exhibition will present projects conceived and created in close connection with the nature. It will include large and small-scale implemented landscape architecture projects showing the forces of nature as well as exposing nature’s rights, role and importance.IFLA Europe exhibition will present an overview of realised landscape architecture projects from all over Europe which are realised in harmony with the nature and using nature-based solutions. Implemented projects will show work of landscape architects working either individually or in multidisciplinary teams. Realised projects will promote environmental as well as aesthetic value
In this article, a project from ULAB Bulgaria entitled “Public Park Stantsionna Gradina”, is presented.
Stantsionna Gradina is a city garden/park in Stara Zagora created 1898-1901, with an area of 52 928 m2.
The main goal of the project is to turn the desolate and infamous garden into a place full of various functions and entertainment, to create an aesthetically pleasing modern park environment, consistent with the historical heritage. These outcomes were achieved through a re-organization of the space and complete renovation of the path network. Further design work included the development of a new system of green areas with new geometry. The main highlights located along the main pedestrian axis are the “compass” at the northern entrance to the garden, the “fountain” in the central space and the “symbol” at the station square.
Existing large vegetation is preserved and included in the new designed compositional frame. A series of hedges and green volumes in free oval shapes emphasize a new compositional solution.
The park design ensures that the park is able to fulfill a number of functions simultaneously and is suitable for use by a wide age group. New appealing park lighting makes the garden attractive during the late hours and a video surveillance system makes it safer.
Public square places and the art alley are space for concerts, outside exhibitions, competitions and other cultural events.
This article was originally published on the IFLA Europe website. Authors: LANDSCAPE DESIGN INVEST LTD. Landscape architect KORNELIYA MATOROVA Architects: S. Yancheva, G. Chernev, I. Altanova.