From Rail to Rose

Abstract

The Südgelände, originally a freight rail yard, today is a conservation area and nature-park in which urban industrial nature is both protected and accessible to the public. A concept of limited intervention transformed the already existing tracks into paths. These were complemented by the addition of a metal walkway construction traversing the four hectares of nature conservation area. It provides the general public access to the site without any direct impact on the vegetation. In order to preserve the immense diversity of flora and fauna a typology of space was defined. The different succession stages characterising the transformation from rail yard to wilderness were to be kept and continued by using various maintenance interventions. The remnants of the former train use are still visible.