Alsdorf „Anna-Park “

Context

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In Alsdorf (pop. approx. 47.000), north of Aachen, a large inner city area (ca. 50 ha) had fallen into disuse following a pit closure. Its reactivation was aimed at upgrading the inner city and adjoining town districts and creating new residential and industrial spaces in a central city location.

The overall planning was in particular based on urban development, architectural and ecological quality standards (soil protection, contamination remediation, rain water management, solar energy use, space-saving development, transparent planning process, etc.). Based on a 1996 urban design outline plan (Pesch and Partner, Herdecke), the “Anna-Park”, the “Anna Park Centre” (services, retail, leisure, housing) and about 180 residential buildings have so far been realized. The designated industrial areas are in the process of being marketed. The listed power centre will soon be rebuilt into a school complex.

In the wake of the EuRegionale 2008, which is a part of the North Rhine-Westphalia State programme “Regionale”, the mining museum will be developed into an “Energeticon”: an adventure museum dedicated to the development of power generation and the history of mining.

Project description

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The “Anna-Park” measures almost 11 ha and is the central element of the redesigned colliery plot. It was created on the former location of the “Anna” coking plant and its auxiliary facilities and now represents the image-boosting focal point of an inner city district in Alsdorf.

Proposals concerning the design and townscape integration as well as the management of complex pollution issues and the mining history were assessed in a landscape planning realization competition. The realized design by the winner of the first prize (Ipach & Driesbusch, Neu-Isenburg) specifies an oblong, raised lawn area (7 ha) as a central element on the contaminated subsoil.

The design of the entire park area is intentionally artificial to commemorate the location's history. Two sections at the head ends are interlaced by black stone walls representing coal seams. On the town-facing side, a so-called „water table” characterizes the public space between the park and the town. On the opposite side, closure is provided by a stone square at the historic power plant. The raised park area serves as a cover for the previously heavily polluted soils from the entire colliery area.

To remediate the pollution, contaminated sections were scooped out in stages and the polluted soil was heat-treated on site. The residues were mixed with cohesive ground material, encapsulated with a drainage and sealing system and finally covered with cultivable soil.

Located between a residential area and industrial spaces, the Anna-Park provides a high-quality public open space, reduces the open space deficit of Alsdorf’s inner city and links the residential areas to the green spaces on the former waste heaps via “green fingers”. By virtue of its integration in the overall townscape and a design allowing multiple uses, the park provides a new quality open space for all the city’s residents.

Project chronology

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Year	Event
1992	Decommissioning of the pit and coking plant Anna
1995	The site is purchased by the NRW state real estate fund
1996	Resolution of the urban design outline plan
1996	Landscape planning realization competition
2001/02	Realization Anna-Park
2002	Completion of the area development
2002	Opening of the Anna Park Centre (14.00m² of retail area)
2003	First residential buildings in the Anna Park residential area
2005	Opening of the central bus station and start-up of the regional train station Anna
2008	Rebuilding of the hoist house “Eduardschacht” into a hall for events
2009	Start of rebuilding measures of the power centre into a school complex

Aims

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• Recycling a pit wasteland and integrating it in the urban space
• Site-development with exacting standards
• City of short distances
• Improvement of the greenery supply and open space networking
• Environmentally compatible handling of contamination from mining and coking plant uses
• Remediation “on site” without polluting other areas (landfills)

Types of measures

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• Thermal contamination treatment
• Scooping out, encapsulation and covering
• High-quality park design resulting from a competition
• Creation of two public squares

Innovations

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"Anna-Park" is a successful example for the realization of a "public space" for community use. It was possible to turn the restrictions caused by the existing pollution into a potential for the entire site by creating a thoughtfully designed park on the "local contamination landfill". The realization of this solution boosted the image of the new area and significantly improved the open space situation for the entire town.

Sources

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• Göricke, Jutta (2003): Picknickdecken auf Abraumhalden. Von der Grube Anna zum Anna Park (Picnic Blankets on Overburden Dumps. From Anna Pit to Anna Park.) In: Süddeutsche Zeitung nr. 138, 18./19.June 2003. Special supplement Europaregion Aachen (European Region Aachen). Munich
• Schmitt, Gisela; Wirtz, Werner (2003): Grundstücksfonds NRW - Zeche Anna in Alsdorf (North Rhine-Westfalia Real Estate Fund – Anna Pit in Alsdorf). In: Müller/Schmitt/Selle (ed.): Stadtentwicklung rückwärts! Brachen als Chance? (Reverse Urban Development! Wastelands as Opportunities?), pp. 311-319. Aachen, Dortmund, Hannover.
• Wirtz, Werner; LEG NRW GmbH (1998): Projekt "Zeche Anna" in Alsdorf (Project „Anna Pit“ in Alsdorf). In: Retzer, Julia a. o.: Bergbaumuseum Alsdorf - eine Dokumentation (Mining Museum Alsdorf – a Documentation), p. 12-19. Alsdorf, Krefeld, Aachen
• Kemperdick, Christoph (1997): Anna-Park. In: „Garten+Landschaft“ magazine 10/1997, p. 16-20. n. l. (project description)
• LEG (Regional Development Company) NRW GmbH (1997): Realisierungswettbewerb Landschaftsplanung Anna-Park (Realization Competition Landscape Planning Anna-Park). Aachen
• EBV Immobilien GmbH, Herzogenrath; LEG NRW a.o. (n. y.): anna alsdorf - impulse für die stadt. information, kommunikation, dialog. (Anna Alsdorf – Impulses for the Town. Information, Communication, Dialogue.) Aachen

Further information

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• On the EuRegionale 2008: <http://www.euregionale2008.de>
• On the topic of contaminated soils: LEG Stadtentwicklung (regional development company, urban planning section) GmbH & Co. KG (LEG), Michael Blesken, Tel. 0211/4568-429

The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 52477 - town: Alsdorf - street: Konrad-Adenauer-Allee, Willy-Brand-Ring.

Protagonists

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• Stadt Alsdorf (Alsdorf Counci), Hubertusstraße 17, 52477 Alsdorf, Fachbereich Stadtentwicklung (Urban Development Department), Harald Richter, tel. 02404/50-296, email: info@alsdorf.de
• LEG Stadtenetwicklung (regional development company, urban planning section) GmbH & Co. KG (LEG), Christoph Kemperdick, Tel. 0241/4701920, email: <Christoph.Kemperdick@leg-nrw.de> (photos 1 + 4)
• Pesch & Partner, architects, urban planning, Zweibrücker Hof 2, 58313 Herdecke, tel. 02330/92840, fax: 02330/928429, email: pph@pesch-partner.de, [www.pesch-partner.de] (outline planning)
• "Büro Ipach & Dreisbusch", architects, Neu-Isenburg
• Eschweiler Bergwerksverein (EBV) GmbH (Eschweiler mining association), Tel. 02433/444030