Planting Design 2013 Working Group 13 - Case Study C

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Please add the title of your case study here, adjust the map coordinates and replace the moa image with a characteristic image of your site

Name	Birkenkopf
Location	Stuttgart
Country	Germany
Authors	Yudi Gao


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Rationale: Why is this case interesting?

Please give a short introduction to the site you have selected (not more than 150 words)

Why did you select it?

It is a case of an artificial element being implanted into natural environment.

Is it exemplary for a specific theme or a problem?

It is very generic. With all the elements it contains, Birkenkopf could be much more unique, other than the current situation serving as jogging route and high point for city bird view.

In how far does it relate to your life?

It is very close to my accommodation in Stuttgart. I take it as my personal recreational area.

Author's perspective

From which professional background/perspective are your documenting this case?

- I am from an architectural background. Special focused public space design.

- The site located upon one of the hill in Stuttgart as a part of the nature environment,and at its top accumulated artificially by destroyed architecture pieces from the Second World War.

- It is deeply connected to the city itself from vary perspectives. The relationships between city, nature and the site interests me to proceed further analysis.

Landscape and/or urban context of your case

Biogeography, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics

Site elements:

- Geographic position: Birkenkopf is the highest point of stuttgart, which is 511m.

- Historical background: Between 1953 and 1957, 15 million cubic meters of rubble were cleared and moved to the hill.

- Artificial Intervention: all the rubble were resulted in an increase in height of around 40 meters.

- Social function: serving as jogging routs, view spot to the city, religious ceremonies site and memorial.

- Author perspective: to walk through the site, your physical position is elevated by following the spiral pathway upwards to the top of the hill. the whole procedure resembles a meditative character.

Illustration: Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses

Analytical drawings

Please add four analytical sketches/drawings (or montages/schemes) of your case and take the following aspects into account:

natural dynamic versus cultural framework - in how far do these two forces come together in your case?
dynamic through the year (you may imagine how the site looks in spring and summer, maybe you also remember it)
highlight potentials and problems

Analytical Drawings
Overall site analytical drawing
Entrance area - view point 1 section
Spiral way up - view point 2 section
Rubble top - view point 3 section

Projective drawings

Please add four projective sketches/drawings (or montages/schemes) for your case and take the following aspects into account:
- How would you like this case to change in the near future? (in 1-2 years)
- And how could it look like in 10-15 years?

Projective Drawings
in 10-15years
Current situation
in 2 years
in 5-10 years

Summary and conclusion

Please summarize your case and give arguments for your projective design (approx 150 words).

Birkenkopf interests me from its multiple arguments: historical issues and object(accumulated as 40m high rubble hill top);linear spacial experience (visitor could only walk alone with the spiral way up to the top); its geographic individuality (highest point in Stuttgart, which provides fantastic view to the land); the changing of plants density (from heavy nature density at the bottom to the almost naked rubble land at the top). I am confronted with the question: how to enhance the spacial experience from the perspective of historical memorial aim? from the perspective of the diversity of nature environment alone with the linear spacial experience?from the perspective that how to purify the sense of seeing,touching,breathing when your climb up 40m vertical landscape? At the very end,how to work with all the consideration poetically together with minimum Intervention?

Image Gallery

You may add a series of images/photos in addition to the sketches/drawings

Image Gallery
Entrance area - view point 1
siteinfo installation- "Orginally 471 meters above sea level / now 51.2 meters above sea level / raised 40.2 meters from 1953 to 1957 / by piling up 1.5 million cubic meters of rubble from Stuttgart which had been 45% destroyed by 53 air attacks during the Second World War" - view point 1
Spiral path way - view point 2
Visual access to the landmark Cross - view point 2
Rubble top - view point 3
Walkway up to the top through rubble - view point 3
site info installation - view point 3
site info installation- "This hill / after the Second World War / built up from the / ruins of the city / stands / in memory of the victims / and as a warning to the living" - view point3