A view on the cape in Dürres (Albania)

This is the demo version of the ezine of 'scape. We will produce five e-zines a year next to our printed magazine. The e-zine will show you inspiring recent projects of and thoughts on landscape architecture and urban design in a new digital format: with slides and with video, with columns and some newslines, and sometimes also with an essay (yes: long read!). 

We will reach our subscribers by simply sending an e-mail with the link tot the e-zine. Subscribers will receive the printed magazine in september: a booklet over 200 pages with dossiers, reviews, portraits and design critique.

But first have a look at this demo version of the e-zine.

Harry Harsema

Design 2011

Implementation 2012

Budget 923,600 euro total (547,000 euro lagoon; 376,600 euro centre)

The conference Beyond  ism: the landscape of landscape urbanism is to be held from 19-21 October 2016 at SLU's Alnarp campus in Malmö, Sweden. It addresses academics and practitioners, aiming to reposition the relationships between city and landscape as reflected in the practice and academia of various disciplines. Keynote speakers have been invited from the realm of both practice and academia. Scholars are offered paper sessions (participants present a paper during 20 minutes and get feedback from peers during 10). For practitioners this format has been adapted to project sessions, inviting for critical discussion of design and planning projects (participants present a project instead of a paper). Anyone interested in sharing his/her project, inspired by landscape urbanism, is asked to send an abstract on one A4 page, consisting of a short project outline and images, until 4 April 2016 to abstract.beyond-ism@slu.se

www.slu.se/conference-beyond-ism

Design 2006–2009

Implementation 2009–2013

Budget 12 million euro

The early bird tends to forget things. I´ll have to go explore without my binoculars. Flora and fauna is abundant in the Schöneberger Südgelände. The nature reserve, which was opened in 2000, measures 18 hectares and promises true wilderness. The urban jungle has had free reign since the railway yard separating East and West was shut down. 

Picking mushrooms is not allowed, in the information sign informs me. People are warned not to go off tracks, I feel just like Little Red Riding Hood.  

Unfortunately though, it is impossible to get lost. It is easy to follow the paths of the former railroad tracks. A rusty water tower, an old turntable and a steam engine stand hidden in de woods. Climbing is forbidden; for the train itself is now a valuable biotope where spiders build their webs and blackbirds and robins nest. Sadly, they aren’t showing themselves today. Despite the paid entree fees, nature does not seem to stick to the opening hours of the reserve. 

Yet suddenly I hear rustling in the bushes – big game, perhaps? A boar? 
However, the brown leather belongs to the jacket of a gentleman. He awkwardly makes his way back to the elevated path. The park ranger had better not see that.  Nature calls – we all long for a taste of wilderness from time to time. 

On the Albanian coast, which is characterised by capes and bays, we find Durres, the second largest city of the Balkan country. In between the harbour and the city, wasteland has been transformed into a town square and boulevard – according to a design by BOOM landscape in Amsterdam and Cityforster in Rotterdam. The project was commissioned by the mayor himself; he wanted his city to have a waterfront again.
The square and boulevard have just been completed, the “cape” was completed a while ago. To fit in with the local environment, the cape has been constructed of natural stone from quarries in the local area. The cape itself consists of steps. It offers panoramic views, but is also a place for entertainment and meeting friends.

A lot of effort has been put into the fine details: the square consists of two shades of natural stone – viewed from the sky, the street pattern forms the name of the city.