Landscape – Great Idea! X-LArch III - Department für Raum ...

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Fig. 3: Concept Desert/Oasis Welzow (design: bgmr/ archiscape,
Berlin)
F60. The preservation and reuse of testimonies to the
past mean that an important aspect of the region’s identity
will be maintained and secured for the future.
For example: Changing Landscape
Mining causes desert- and canyon-like interim landscapes,
which radiate a bizarre beauty. On open-cast mining
tours, the IBA makes it possible to experience these
landscapes, enabling visitors to discover new beauties in
a landscape fundamentally changed by open-cast mining.
Thus value is added to the landscape – a new picture of
the landscape is created in the mind of the beholder. And
this picture is the basis for the appreciation of the landscape
and thus a first step towards new developments.
The fascination of the intermediate landscape turned into
the project approach of a Desert/Oasis: The intention
was the recultivation of an open-cast mine by creating
a landscape with pictures which would be linked to the
myth of a desert. The aim was to create a relief of debris
with ridges, cones and open areas of differing heights,
covering around 700 hectares, to emerge step by step
alongside the open-cast mining and to give the nature the
possibility to develop again. The counterpart to this barren
landscape was a projected “oasis” with a range of uses.
Despite repeated revisions and adaptations it proved
impossible to realise this proposal to convert the traces
of the industrial excavation process into new landscape
aesthetics. Misgiving and rejection of the unusual landscape
concept among the population as well as technical
difficulties led to the project’s abandonment. Anyhow, this
project was an important contribution to the discussion
about post-mining landscapes.
For example: Energy Landscapes
The production of energy has been the background for
new landscapes in Lusatia and it is also one of the pillars
on which the region’s future development will rest. The
extensive, sparsely populated region provides ideal
Fig. 4: Concept Energy Landscape (design: ARGE hochC Landschaftsarchitektur
/ Horst Schumacher / Lenné3D, Berlin und Erfurt)
preconditions for electricity production from regenerative
energy sources like wind, sun and biomass. In the context
of the IBA, concepts for energy landscapes are being
examined in collaboration with universities and scientific
institutions. These combine different energy sources in
terms of a new, variably usable and ecologically enduring
cultural landscape.
The difficulty in controlling and transforming these energy
landscapes is their dependency on the market: thanks to
the Renewable Energies law in Germany supply compensations
are paid for electricity produced from regenerative
energy sources which increased the share of renewable
energies for electricity production to around 14% by 2007,
and an increase to at least 30% is planned by 2020. This
results in a competition for the land and an impending
mono-structure for agricultural areas which can arise, for
example, by large-scale energy wood plantations. Here,
the concept of energy landscapes has to act as mediator
between the differing objectives in terms of a sustainable
cultural landscape management and apart from the
economic aspects also enables an aesthetical access to
the landscape.
Conclusions
As the examples show, the IBA tool can initiate a new
creativity in the regional development. The successful linkage
of overall planning concepts, which include convincing
single projects, to new perceptions, ways of thinking
and courses of action provides an effective interaction
between formal and informal tools. Creativity means the
deliberate connection of analytical, intuitive and emotional
capabilities and allows the understanding of complex correlations
and the formulation of new proposals for solution
– typical requirements of a large-scale planning (Seggern
et al. 2008; Seggern/ Sieverts 2006). The regional development
has to use this chance for a further development.