Overtoom 197, 1054 HT AMSTERDAM
Tilla Durieux Park
Berlin - first prize
European Prize for Urban Public Space July 2004: In 1995 an international competition was held to design two urban parks near the Potsdamer Platz in central Berlin. DS landscape architects from Amsterdam was declared the winner. In June 2003 the Tilla-Durieux-Park opened. It features a long grass sculpture rotated on its axis. Double rows of lime trees line both sides of the sculpture; as one walks under the trees the space constantly changes. Initially one enjoys the sumptuous sloping lawn and then, a few hundred metres further along, one is standing next to a five-meter-high embankment. One simple intervention brings the extremely long space to life. The sculpture itself is an invitation to lounge and play.