- 11 August 2023
- 6384 defa okundu.
Catharijnesingel
The Catharijnesingel project, located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, designed by OKRA landschapsarchitect, is one of the 5 finalist projects selected for the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2022.
The restoration of the final section of the Catharijnesingel includes an area roughly 1.1 kilometres long. A total of about 40,000 cubic metres of water has returned to the canal, and its length now reaches almost six kilometres. Working on the course of the Catharijnesingel and the expansion of the Zocherpark, OKRA reorganised the traffic that occupied the site, diverting cars and giving priority to pedestrians. The extended walking path along the canal invites recreational and sports use; visitors can stroll through meadows among works of art, as well as numerous leisure areas and a variety of planted areas, each with its own species.
Recovering access to the water is the key aspect of this project and the reason why visitors will want to return to the Catharijnesingel. Whether engaging in water-based activities or walking along the water’s edge where the park is reflected on the surface, the inhabitants of Utrecht can experience the city’s historical relationship with the water and the canal in a new space.
A varied grove of trees – poplars, planes, cherry plums and elms – connects this new park with the existing Zocherpark. OKRA paid close attention to biodiversity in their choice of trees, including, for example, flowering trees that attract bees. This variety, while enhancing biodiversity, also ensures different experiences for visitors throughout the seasons.
The use of materials – clinker bricks and gravel – creates a visual connection with Utrecht’s historic centre. Near the existing dock, a wooden platform can be used as a seating element, a stand or a stage. A lower section added to the existing wooden platform is used by canoers, paddle boarders and other pleasure boat users.
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