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From Airport to Birdport

AN INNOVATIVE PIONEER FOR FUTURE BUSINESS AREAS

In collaboration with De Zwarte Hond Köln, Felixx has developed a landscape strategy for the public space of the former Essen-Mülheim airport. The design is an answer to the growing demand for more integration of nature in our cities. Combining spatial quality of the working environment with nature, ecology and climate adaptation, Birdport is an innovative business park for the future, in which high-tech and nature come together within a high-quality public space.

Located between nature reserves Rumbachtal, Forstbachtal and Rossenbecktal, Birdport forms a new link in existing landscape structures. The design emphasizes Nature-based Solutions, creating a resilient environment where commercial use and nature go hand in hand.

nature included 

The public space is an important part of the greening strategy of the area and is characterized by different habitats and associated vegetation types: moist areas for extra buffer capacity, higher areas on rooftops, dense tree areas, flowering species and flower meadows.

Measures to collect, delay and reuse rainwater are essential elements of the landscape concept, since infiltration of water through the polluted soil is made impossible. Each building offers optimal conditions for ecological diversity, such as intensive and extensive green roofs. Creating extra living space for birds, bats and insects and at the same time serve as a water buffer.

genius loci

The character of the area, or the Genius Loci, is further developed by retaining characteristic infrastructure such as the landing strip, the strong visual axes and the object-like buildings. The former runway is used again in the design, as a Discovery Loop. A walking route on the old runway, only accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. The edges of the disused runway are planted with native grass species that purify the contaminated soil using phytoremediation. A nature-oriented solution that uses micro-organisms present in the plant that collect, convert and degrade sediments in the contaminated soil.

experimental playing field

The business park focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups for knowledge and technology-oriented companies and innovative research and development cooperation with universities. Birdport consists of three spatial areas, each with its own focus, allowing it to appeal to a wide range of businesses. The 'flexible backbone' is a spacious park that connects existing biotopes with the new district, a 'high-dense campus' that is characterized by a high density and that facilitates the needs of future companies. Finally, 'Iconic buildings with a view' form an experimental playing field. A grid of regularly placed trees and blocks, interrupted by organically designed paths and public places, forms an unexpected pattern of different scales. This mix of different building typologies and flexible use of public space also creates a lively neighborhood outside traditional working hours.

The three sub-areas are connected by four traffic arteries: two loops and two spacious boulevards. One of these loops forms the main access road for car traffic, to which various mobility hubs are connected, such as parking facilities and shared cars and bicycles. Like the Discovery Loop, the two spacious boulevards are only accessible to pedestrians and cyclists and provide a safe and attractive connection to the neighbourhood.

The unique location, design and positioning of Birdport make this business park on the former airport stand out from many other developments in the Ruhr metropolitan area.

Year

2022

Location

Essen-Mülheim Airport

Type

Masterplan, Infrastructure, Landscape

Team & partners

Michiel van Driessche
Deborah Lambert
Marnix Vink
Nancy Smolka
Natalia Andreeva
De Zwarte Hond

List
  1. Nature Based City of Almere
  2. Oude Landen, Antwerpen
  3. Strategic Green Plan Leuven
  4. Leutje Leidraad, Groningen
  5. Rijnvliet, Edible Neighborhood
  6. Vief Kwartier
  7. Eemsdelta Campus
  8. The Newton
  9. Astridplein, Antwerp
  10. Dennenheuvel, Bloemendaal
  11. Regulateur Gruno district
  12. Jonas Amsterdam
  13. K64 keflavík airport area masterplan
  14. Railroad Zone Amsterdam
  15. From node to place
  16. Masterplan Flora Campus Westland
  17. Alongside the Schie
  18. New Space - Design Guideline Liveability of Public Space, Groningen
  19. From Airport to Birdport
  20. Brabant Water, Eindhoven
  21. Brouwershaven
  22. Brainport Industries Campus
  23. Hondsrug Park Amsterdam
  24. Yangmeikeng Sea Boulevard
  25. Healthy Tracks
  26. Towards a healthy city by foot
  27. Floating Gardens, Amsterdam
  28. The Unbound Amsterdam
  29. Seaside Gardens, Gufunes
  30. Brainport Smart District Helmond
  31. The Swan, Zwolle (NL)
  32. Spatial Framework Blankenburg Süden, Berlin
  33. 'Typhoon-proof' Shenzhen's East Coast
  34. Circular City Bodø 2.0
  35. A green entrance for the airport
  36. Public Space Alpen
  37. Cartesius Quarter
  38. Historic Delfshaven
  39. Isle of Dikes
  40. Smakkelaarsveld Utrecht
  41. Darmstadt Masterplan 2030+
  42. Bao’An G107 Corridor
  43. Master Plan Ter Aar, Nieuwkoop
  44. Waterfront Novosibirsk
  45. Almazov National Medical Research Centre
  46. Strategic Urban Green Study
  47. Public Space Strategy Kanpur
  48. Quartierlandschaft Dietenbach
  49. ImageWharf
  50. Ódinstorg Square
  51. Overloon War Museum
  52. Lokhalle Leverkusen
  53. Ludlstrasse Munich
  54. Redevelopment Strategy Vogabyggð
  55. City life in the woods
  56. Schie Quarter Schiedam
  57. Socio-technical city of the future
  58. Buji River
  59. Vaskhnil Novosibirsk
  60. Precincts Canterbury Cathedral
  61. Maritime Campus Almere
  62. Resilient Riverscape Berat
  63. Sijthoff
  64. Strategic Plan Shkodra
  65. Ekaterinburg City Campus
  66. Transformation Strategy Gufunes
  67. Transformation Strategy Chelyabinsk
  68. Fish Market Leuven
  69. Zinder Culture Cluster
  70. Redevelopment plan Bergschenhoek centre
  71. Food Innovation Strip Ede-Wageningen
  72. S4 Highway Hangzhou
  73. Strategic Plan Fier
  74. Strategic Plan Elbasan
  75. Kronenburg Business Park
  76. Dharavi Mumbai
  77. Ásbrú Enterprise Park
  78. Asylum Seekers Center Ter Apel
  79. Berlin Am Volkspark
  80. The Museum of the 20th Century
  81. Gardabaer
  82. Metropolitan Westerpark Amsterdam
  83. Science and Technology City Chongqing
  84. Yue Xiu 353 Transformation
  85. 5YN3RGY
  86. Erlongshan Recreational Park
  87. Danxia Recreational Park
  88. Campus Lelystad
  89. Proto Tamansari
  90. City Gardens Tyumen
  91. Park Somerlust Amsterdam
  92. Bandar Lampung Park
  93. R&D Campus Fengxian
  94. S-West Eindhoven
  95. Biodiversity based dairy farming
  96. Heidelberg Creative Quarter
  97. Barendrecht Vrouwenpolder
  98. Mobility transformation of Haarlem Europaweg
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