Garden Labyrinth – Erfurt

Winners - First Prize Mann Landschaftsarchitektur – Germany
	Green Wave Labyrinths have always been a popular classical motif in garden art. A variation on a hedge labyrinth can be found in this garden in Erfurt, Germany, which measures around 1500 square meters. The existing fruit trees, relics of an old kitchen garden in the courtyard of a block of buildings dating to the period of promoterism, were integrated into the design. About 7000 evergreen privet plants grow between the fruit trees and form numerous hedges one to two meters high. Newly planted Amelanchier trees complement the old fruit trees. The grassy areas between the densely planted privet hedges serve as paths or lawns. Due to its varied topography, the site covers height differences of up to six meters. The sculptural hedges play off and respond to these variations in topography. A walk between the hedges on the garden paths, some of which have steep gradients, continuously opens up new sightlines, allowing observers to experience the garden space in manifold ways. A metal shelf for firewood doubles as a garden wall, providing visual cover from the neighboring property and bordering on the terrace that leads from the house to the sloping garden. A level place to rest is set in the shade of a pear tree. Seen from the living room on the third floor, the hedge labyrinth looks like a painting that evokes a green wave.