Due to the pandemic, parks in many cities around the world were closed. Vienna is no exception: Schönbrunn and Belvedere are now inaccessible for walks. But residents of megalopolises need movement in the fresh air, and the natural environment is also very important for them. The solution is offered by studio Precht (formerly known as Penda), based in the Austrian Alps.
The architects have developed a park design where you can walk with strict adherence to a social distance: the paths there are separated by a green hedge 90 cm wide, their total step is 2.4 m. The organic plan in the shape of a fingerprint outlines a series of trails that run parallel to the center, making a loop there and returning back. A person will overcome the 600-meter path in an average of 20 minutes, but you can also linger: sit on a bench or stop at one of the fountains in the middle of the park. The gate at the entrance or exit will indicate whether the track is busy or not.
The green hedge varies in height, but almost always hides those walking from each other, but they will hear their own and others' steps: the paths will be covered with pink-red granite gravel.
After the quarantine of Parc de la Distance, Parc de la Distance, the Park of the Distance will become a place for quiet walks, where you can be alone in the fresh air, which is usually difficult to do without leaving the metropolis. Precht is inspired by French Baroque gardens with their meticulously trimmed green labyrinths and Japanese Zen gardens with their meditation theme and rustling gravel. The authors also relied on their own experience of life in the mountains and frequent walks alone, which help to gain strength and get to know oneself better.
The park was conceived for a specific vacant lot in Vienna, but Precht architects are confident that such green spaces will be in demand in any big city.
