🌳 Molenwater Park Transformation | Middelburg’s Climate-Adaptive Oasi

🔄 From derelict turnaround basin to a future-proof urban park The Challenge ⚠️ Last remaining green space outside medieval walls had: • Lost connection to the city’s maritime history • Become fragmented by fences and overgrown plants • Felt like a "forgotten backyard" rather than a civic asset The Vision ✨ Low-cost, high-impact interventions to: 1️⃣ Reconnect the park to Middelburg’s historic fabric 2️⃣ Unify disjointed zones into one cohesive landscape 3️⃣ Add climate resilience as an EU Water Adaptive Cities pilot Key Innovations 💧 Water Management Superpowers: • Stores 2,000m³ of stormwater (equivalent to 10,000 rain barrels) • Features dry riverbeds and a "water square" that becomes a playful splash zone during floods • Supports biodiversity with eco-designed waterfalls (home to protected toads!) 🌿 Design Highlights: • 25m reflection pool mirroring the city’s skyline • Integrated theater pavilion (now a cultural hub) • "Forest Valley" with amphibian-friendly cascades Community Magic 🤝 From protests to pride: • Initial resistance to relocating parking transformed into local ownership through workshops • "We didn’t expect it to turn out this beautiful!" - residents Project Snapshot 📅 Design: 2018-2022 | Construction: 2021-2022 🏛️ Client: Municipality of Middelburg 🌍 Funded by EU Water Resilient Cities initiative #LandscapeArchitecture #ClimateAdaptation #DutchDesign