Gallop into Green

State Garden Shows have long been more than tempo­rary flower exhi­bi­tions. In Neuss, the event becomes the cata­lyst for broader urban deve­lo­p­ment: The 38-hectare site of the former horse racing track is perma­nently trans­formed into Stadt­park Neuss and is intended to streng­then the connec­tion from the city center through the future Hamm­feld district to the Rhine.

The race­track was perma­nently closed in 2019. With the first-place compe­ti­tion design by Franz Reschke Land­schafts­ar­chi­tektur in 2023, compre­hen­sive rede­ve­lo­p­ment into a civic park finally began.

The history of the site was not erased in the process. The large open center still recalls the expanse of the race­track, and the former course with grass and sand tracks remains legible as a park feature. Flood­light masts, parts of the exis­ting path network, the betting office, and camera and judges’ towers were also preserved or reinter­preted. Five differ­ently programmed groves now frame the open center and accom­mo­date more inten­sive uses. Around 2,200 newly planted trees comple­ment the largely preserved tree stock.

The plan­ning prin­ciple is ther­e­fore: less new cons­truc­tion than buil­ding upon what exists. The State Garden Show lays a new layer of use over a site whose former func­tion remains reco­gnizable.

More than 16,000 m² in the new Stadt­park Neuss are desi­gnated for play, sports, and action. A focal point is the sports grove. Here, a soccer field, basket­ball, and beach volley­ball meet two so-called fusion faci­li­ties that combine classic calis­the­nics elements with clim­bing, hanging, balan­cing, and strength and coor­di­na­tion trai­ning. Pull-up bars, nets, and ropes are included, as are punching bags, battle ropes, jumping elements, and ground tram­po­lines. Diffe­rent diffi­culty levels ensure that the faci­li­ties can be used not only by trained athletes. The EPDM surfaces also enable barrier-free access to the trai­ning elements.

The sports area does not end at the side­line of the playing field. Seating, terraces, and paths accom­pany the sports and acti­vity areas and connect them with the rest of the park. This prin­ciple runs through the entire faci­lity: Gene­rous seating steps, custom-desi­gned park furni­ture, dining options, and differ­ently confi­gured gathe­ring areas comple­ment the active uses. In the sports grove, diffe­rent gene­ra­tions can ther­e­fore train, play, meet, or watch others simul­ta­neously. Sports are not placed in the park as a sepa­rate program here, but are connected with recrea­tion and public life.

The fact that these faci­li­ties are tail­ored to their future users is also related to the plan­ning process. Repre­sen­ta­tives of local sports asso­cia­tions were involved in the deve­lo­p­ment and discussed the sports offe­rings with the plan­ners. The same approach was taken with the exis­ting skate­park, whose expan­sion was coor­di­nated with the local scene.

The skate­park is among the sports faci­li­ties that were already present on the former race­track site before the State Garden Show. Its concrete bowl from the 2000s was preserved and expanded with a street plaza. Manual pad, curved rail, extended ledge, lower tran­si­tions, and gentle roll-ins parti­cu­larly enhance the possi­bi­li­ties for less expe­ri­enced users. The paths within and around the faci­lity are made of cast-in-place concrete and can be incor­po­rated into the lines. Seating is inte­grated directly into the faci­lity, and a large canopy provides protec­tion from sun and light rain.

Imme­dia­tely adja­cent, a dirt­park was created with two lines of varying diffi­culty, each with two table jumps. Berms lead back to the starting point, and rollers and wobbles comple­ment the courses. A compact asphalt pump­track broa­dens the spec­trum down­ward: It can be used with balance bikes, scoo­ters, skate­boards, and moun­tain bikes, making it suitable for children and begin­ners as well. Skate­park, dirt­park, and pump­track toge­ther form an appro­xi­m­ately 13,000 m² action area where diffe­rent wheeled sports and skill levels coexist.

The sports offe­rings are comple­mented by three inclu­sive themed play­grounds tota­ling around 2,000 m². The Roman play­ground refe­rences the Novae­sium legio­nary camp, the rabbit play­ground refers to the rabbits that took over the site after racing opera­tions ceased, and the race­track play­ground revi­sits the history of the site with horses, move­ment, and compe­ti­tion. Around 50 children were involved in deve­lo­ping the requi­re­ments in advance.

The Roman play­ground, deve­loped and realized by hoch­kant, makes the history of the city of Neuss playfully acces­sible along a symbolic Roman road. It leads from the gate of a Roman camp past a small village and through the exis­ting tree stock to the market­place with sand and mud play areas. A grid of two by two meters forms the basis for the indi­vi­du­ally desi­gned play equip­ment. Natural larch wood charac­te­rizes the faci­lity, white-stained wood elements evoke Roman archi­tec­ture, and brown nets and ropes recall leather in their colo­ring.

The indi­vi­dual areas are aimed at diffe­rent age groups and abili­ties. The Roman camp and low rope course offer more chal­len­ging clim­bing, balan­cing, and move­ment possi­bi­li­ties, while the toddler area and sand and water play are desi­gned to be more acces­sible. The diffe­rent diffi­culty levels and sensory offe­rings expand the usage possi­bi­li­ties for children with various abili­ties. Small details carry the theme further: Inte­grated board games include the “Roman Mill,” a memory game connects Roman motifs with their names, and in a speci­ally desi­gned variant of “Connect Four,” Romans and Germanic tribes compete against each other.

Inclu­sion is ther­e­fore not unders­tood here as a sepa­rate offe­ring, but as a natural compo­nent of the design that provides children with diffe­rent talents and inte­rests diverse access to play and move­ment.

The exis­ting tree stock also became part of the plan­ning. The elements along the Roman road largely do without elabo­rate foun­da­tions to protect the root zones. Addi­tional tree plan­tings are intended to create more shade in the future. Low-main­ten­ance cons­truc­tions and replaceable indi­vi­dual parts are desi­gned for perma­nent use beyond the State Garden Show.