Hortus Conclusus - Honourable Mention

The new Theater Square is dedicated to the magic of nature: an urban room realized as a ‘secret garden’. The tall palm trees create a landmark on at the scale of the city, while at street level the garden becomes a place for the imagination with local plants and flowers creating open and closed spaces of light and shadow.

 The surrounding office buildings are converted into contemporary housing with new balconies facing the gardent. The streets are pedestrianised, cleared of obstacles and reoccupied with a series of playgrounds that service local families and activate the public space.

 The three entrances to the garden are highlighted by metallic, entrance gates that are also planted. Planted at each entrance, Cypress trees and aromatic plants awaken the senses and announce the entrance.