A green oasis in an urban context
The Ostpark is located in Frankfurt’s Nordend-Ost district, in a peripheral area heavily defined by traffic infrastructure. The north and east sides of the park are bordered by federal roads and motorways, while the south side is bordered by a freight yard belonging to Frankfurt’s main railway station. The Bornheim/Ostend residential area is also adjacent to the park, and the underground station there provides a greater number of users access to the park.
The Ostpark is a green oasis in the urban context of the wider landscape, and thus serves the local recreation needs of Frankfurt’s population. The park itself is also characterised by the Riedgraben lake and various sports facilities, including both cinder and turf pitches.
During the restoration of the park, much of which was established in the late 1950s, the main focus was on modernisation that was consistent with heritage protection, so that existing buildings and many natural monuments could be carefully integrated into the new design. The usability of the park as a recreational area was further developed: The removal of overgrown perimeter plantings has opened up the park and increased the sense of safety. A new circular path system is aimed primarily at athletes, who can use the new surface for running. The wooden-chip-covered Finnenbahn near the athletic facilities provides a running experience that is easy on users’ knees. Two playgrounds, one of them for small children, seamlessly blend in with the natural surroundings and have climbing equipment and swings developed especially for this project.
Other focal points include the new barbecue area on the east side of the main meadow, the renovation of the bastion, a new sitting area directly on the lake, the upgrading of the Cetto, a historic bathing area on the lake, as well as the Kastanienplatz, the main plaza in the southern part of the park, which has a kiosk and access to the new emergency overnight shelter.
In addition to upgrading the park by improving the pathways and enhancing the recreational value, another focus was on the sustainable management of existing vegetation as well as the resident Egyptian geese population, the latter which was provided with its own protected areas. Vegetation mats were also installed along the lake’s shore, creating a new near-natural habitat for waterfowl.
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
CLIENT: The City of Frankfurt am Main, Parks Department
TIME FRAME: 2011 – March 2020
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: approx. 3.44 million euros
SIZE: approx. 33 hectares
PROJECT: Service Phases 1–8
Photography: Roman Mensing www.romanmensing.de
Designers: RMP Stephan Lenzen Landschaftsarchitekten /
