Recovery of the Catharijnesingel canal by OKRA landschapsarchitect, 11th European Prize for Urban Public Space 2022
15/11/2022.
[Utrecht] Netherlands
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
Project description by OKRA landschapsarchitect
The restoration of the last section of the Catharijnesingel includes an area of about 1.1 kilometres in length. A total of about 40,000 cubic meters of water have returned to the channel, and its total length now reaches almost six kilometres.
For the layout of the Catharijnesingel and the extension of the Zocherpark, the OKRA studio has reorganized the traffic that occupied the place, diverting cars and giving priority to pedestrians. The extensive walking route along the canal invites recreational and sports use so that visitors can stroll through meadows among works of art, numerous rest areas and a variety of plantations, each with its own species.
Water recovery is the key aspect of this project and the reason why visitors want to return to the Catharijnesingel. Whether doing aquatic activities or walking along the water's edge, a cultivated area in which the park is reflected, the inhabitants of Utrecht recover in this new space the historical relationship of the city with water and the canal.
A diverse assortment of trees—poplar, plane, prunus, and elm—connects this new park with the existing Zocherpark. In the choice of trees, OKRA has paid a lot of attention to biodiversity, such as single-flowering trees that attract bees and bumblebees. This variety, while improving biodiversity, also offers different experiences for visitors throughout the seasons.
The use of materials – clinker bricks (the ancient Rhine bricks) and gravel – creates a visual connection to the historic city centre of Utrecht. Next to the existing dock, a wooden surface can be used as a seating element, a stand or a stage, and a lower section added to the existing wooden surface is used by canoeists, paddle boarders and other recreational boats.