Wodianer Park - A little plot with a lot of history.
WODIANER PARK
LOCATION: Gyomaendrőd, Hungary
YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION: 2017
AREA OF THE SITE: 1500 m2
PRIMARY PURPOSE: Public urban open space
PARTNERS: Architecture - P8 Atelier
The concept of Wodianer park was created after a successful design competition in collaboration with P8 Atelier in 2017. The triangular section is located in the historical centre of Gyomaendrőd, a city in the Southern Great Plains of Hungary. The celebrations around the 300th anniversary of the funding of the city offered a great opportunity for the redevelopment of this small, but very important plot. The landscape design reflects on the cultural history of the city, creating an inviting urban space acting as a meeting point for locals, with views framing the important monuments.
Masterpan of the park, 2017
A Powerful Location.
The triangular plot at the intersection of the cities two major roads was named after Albert Wodianer, a lord who donated his wealth for the betterment of the city. Him and his wife ordered the construction of several important buildings, including a new school, kindergarten and a catholic church in 1878 . The school building forms the facade at the back of the triangular square, and the church became a significant landmark. The area was well maintained in the first half of the 20th century, in memory of the Wodianer family who largely contributed to the growth of the city. In contrast, an overscaled monument was erected during the communist era, overpowering and ruling the small triangular section, the school and the church. In the past decades the park got neglected, it was overgrown by vegetation and the large limestone statue and memorial from the soviet era needed to be removed.
The architectural and landscape design is built on the rich history of the site. During the site analysis and community engagement the most important pedestrian and cycling routes and connections were drafted, creating the general layout and open space structure of the masterplan. To provide a meeting point for residents and students, a central paved area was created in the shade of the existing Sophora trees, reusing the basalt cobblestone surrounding the soviet memorial. A set of seating blocks were created using the limestone blocks of the monument, including led lighting and charging points. The existing fountain was preserved and re-painted, providing drinking water for the park users and becoming a characteristic feature at the same time.
The overgrown exotic vegetation was removed to provide clear sightlines, while the most important trees were kept for shading and dynamic perennial planting beds were established to improve the aesthetics of the triangle. With the complex but low impact reconstruction part of the original indentity of the area was restored, while the site provides for contemporary users and creates important pedestrian connections.
