A new water playground has been created in the city park of Erding

By Elisa Scheibl und Martin Rist (NRT Narr Rist Türk Landschaftsarchitekten BDLA Stadtplaner & Ingenieure)

Elisa Scheibl / Martin Rist Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Landschaftsarchitektin Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Landschaftsarchitekt BDLA und Stadtplaner

In July 2019, Lord Mayor Gotz officially reopened the second section of the Erding city park. Since then it has enjoyed great popularity among all age groups. A special highlight is the new water playground called "Herzogburg Aerding" which is particularly popular among the young visitors and their families. But also the exercise course with its designated running routes provides both schools and their students as well as athletes and senior citizens with many opportunities for physical activity.

In both the first and the second part of the redevelopment of the city park, the most important planning goal was to ensure sensitive and nature conservation-oriented maintenance of the woodland to both preserve the spectrum of use of the park and to meet the current and future needs of the population.

Furthermore, a spatial distribution with a diverse range of views, oriented on the model of the historic landscape park should be considered to promote the value of the tree population and improve its ecological diversity.

By opening the old pond at two points to the river Sempt, a beautiful water landscape has been created while at the same time the water quality has been improved. 

The new viewing platform allows a beautiful view over the new water area with its two islands up to the other river shore. Furthermore, this place invites its visitors to relax and have a rest.

A further upgrading of the water landscape has been implemented in the area of the existing old arm of the river in the northwest. The construction of a wooden walkway from the Sempt bridge towards the northern old arm with a viewing platform can be used for nature education activities (such as guided tours for school classes or interested visitor groups), but also for a nice picnic. Due to the adequate distance between main path and the river shore a near-natural, ecologically valuable floodplain area could be created in the north-western area. 

At the main entrance area of the petting zoo and the aviaries a new seating steps area has been built.

It supplements the available facilities on the eastern river side while at the same time it makes the existing river slopes accessible at a number of selected points. Thus, the utilisation pressure through park visitors will be canalised appropriately. However, the accessible areas alternate with the more natural, non-accessible sections.

North of the central meadow in the western part of the city park another important central area has been created the one of which is characterised by its optimal southwest orientation and the corresponding exposure to sunlight. 

Here, the target group is primarily the older generation, such as adults and senior citizens. Under the beautiful old trees, there are various leisure areas, which provide this specific target group with chess fields, a boules pitch and fitness equipment for adults and senior citizens.

The offer is supplemented by various seating possibilities distributed over the total area of the city park. Furthermore, the information system explains the history, the different areas and their special features as well as the various usage possibilities and functions.

The design focus, including the conception, play idea and the selection of play equipment of the Celtic playground which has already been implemented during the first construction phase, is rather aimed at the age group 6 - 12 years, even though it contains numerous elements for the younger age groups from the vicinity of the huts. Therefore, a second playground has been built in the second construction phase, which is aimed more at the age group 3-6 years. Due to its central location it is one of the most important inner-city spaces with considerable potential for the leisure and recreational use and suitable for people of all age groups. Like the playground Weniadunum, this playground has a guiding theme in the sense of 'branding'. Hence a unique position within the urban playground system could be created.

However, the most important aspect is that the playground remains first and foremostly a playground that - despite all its particular features - is subordinated to the overall concept of the park and fully usable for children and parents even without the knowledge of the historical quotations. The historical background should be considered a secondary aspect which provides an additional cultural enjoyment or educational experience for those who are interested (as, for instance, school classes). For further explanations, the table in the pavilion is designed as a display board.

According to the historical situation the concept and thus the main theme was called "Old Town Erding".

The historic old town is characterised by its island location between the rivers Sempt and Fehlbach ('Wasserburg Erding', a castle surrounded by moats). Therefore, the basic idea was to create a play area in the western part of the complex in the original scale form of the Erding Old Town oval, which - in line with the real situation - is surrounded by a playable moat or water ring with a low water level (0 to 20cm). This island is surrounded in parts by a brick wall at seat height with bastion-like bulges. It is playable on both sides and symbolises the city wall. Both children (and of course adults as well) can sit, lie, relax on the wall or even use it for role-playing. To reach the island, the recreational and surrounding areas can be left through openings which have been installed into the "city wall". The openings lead to differently designed bridges, walking bridges and fords at the geographically corresponding locations of the four city gates of Erding. The inner structure of this playing island consists of an integrated multifaceted climbing combination at a slightly higher level. It is oriented towards the street cross of the old town. In addition, the expansion of the market square has also been recreated. Some of the typical historical uses have been created by concrete play situations in 'huts' (such as milling or bell foundry) and thus provide the children with a place to stay and relax. The highlight of the island - in the full sense of the word - is a tower-like climbing construction ('The Old Town Tower'). However, to include the aspect of inclusion into the design planning, some parts of the facility have been designed and constructed for barrier-free accessibility.

The spacious sand play area in the east of this place is equipped with various play facilities such as sand and water play devices as well as erratic blocks of granite etc. The sandy area is closed off to the south by the slope edge of the former Sempt high shore. It offers seating areas for parents or guardians. Here the visitors will also find the information pavilion and a slope slide.

The entrances to the playground are marked by two gates (towards the recreation area and directly to the island). In addition, a protective and space-creating row of wooden palisades has been created on the western side of the playground towards the public path.

The swing section can be found in the north, beyond the sand area. Right behind it there is a wide, open meadow area for playing. Under the old tree population there are various climbing and balancing devices which are connected to the island by the water ring.

A little stream meanders through the meadow and flows into the Sempt river. The origin and source of the stream course is the water ring around the island. Here, the focus on "water pumping, water storage, water drainage" has been implemented in a playful way and has thus become the central theme of the playground. There is appropriate play equipment available, such as pumps, channels and weirs to enable the children to fill the water into the water ring and into the stream.

The counterpart to these intensively used and played meadow areas is the central meadow in the west within the former river bend of the Sempt. 

Here the visitors can sunbathe or take a midday nap or just sit on the walls along the way and enjoy the view over the park. However, the mowing rhythm allows to flexibly control and separate the different meadow areas.

In sum, in the second construction phase both the municipality and urban planners have once again succeeded in creating a place of encounter and peaceful coexistence within the city park.