Interview
Interview with the Managing Director of the „internationale gartenschau hamburg 2013 gmbh“, Heiner Baumgarten:
- Heiner Baumgarten
Q: Mister Baumgarten, in 2013 Hamburg and the Borough of Wilhelmsburg will host an International Garden Show. Will the wait be worth it and what will the visitors be seeing?
HB: It will definitely be worth the wait. After pausing for 40 years an International Garden Show will once again delight millions of visitors with a sea of colourful and scented flowers. Yet the Show will be more than “a summer of a thousand flowers”. At the heart of the Show will be the creation of a public park of the 21st century for Hamburg and the Borough of Wilhelmsburg. The emphasis lies on current interests such as sports, recreation, leisure and informal get-togethers, but also on the huge number of allotments in the area.
Q: ... so the slogan could be fitness and recreation in a sea of flowers?
HB: Well, there is more to it than that. The winning entry of our design competition – a proposal by rmp landscape architects - Stephan Lenzen – is based on the slogan “In 80 Gardens Around the World”. This reflects the international character of this borough and its situation near the Port of Hamburg. Issues such as “Growing together”, “Living together” or “Cultures meet” are all part of this project, which aims at developing new, multi-cultural societies within the cities. The igs 2013 project of creating a public park of the 21st century, is meant to incorporate the demographic development and translate it into the design of urban public open space. “International City Societies” and “Intercultural City Culture” will be a core issue of inner city developments in the 21st century and will require special attention within open space design. Large parks – our “Public Parks Of the 21st Century” can and will have to respond to these needs. The igs 2013 therefore aims at presenting a state-of-the-art public park as part of the Garden Show. The design will look at the latest ideas in sports and leisure as well as healthy living and outdoor activities.
Q: … that sounds very varied, but not like a lot of flowers…
HB: Of course there will be show gardens and the colourful displays by plant breeders. The slogan “In 80 Gardens Around the World” also lends itself to form co-operations with cities, botanical gardens and parks all over the world. This would enable virtual visits to those gardens and travels to foreign shores via web cam and video link.
Q: … so not only plants people will get their kicks, but also technically minded visitors.
HB: That’s right. The igs 2013 will cater for everyone’s interests.
Q: All previous Garden Shows in Hamburg took place in and around the park “Planten un Blomen”. Why have you now decided to move to the Borough of Wilhelmsburg?
HB: In 1869 Hamburg hosted its first International Garden Show, six more were to follow. They all created “green oasis”, which still determine Hamburg’s appearance and have helped it win the name “Green City on the Waterfront”. But it was time to move to a new site. Wilhelmsburg lent itself to this, because the igs 2013 saw the potential of this island as an inner city, green and vibrant borough with a unique ambience and it will help to strengthen these characteristics further.
Q: How do you want to achieve this?
HB: The main project of the igs 2013 is the creation of a new public park in the centre of the Borough of Wilhelmsburg. This will help bring together three at present unconnected and socially disparate parts of the borough. Furthermore, the image of the Borough of Wilhelmsburg will be turned into a positive vision for the future. At present many perceive Wilhelmsburg as being part of the port, as a main thoroughfare, an industrial borough or, worse still, only envisage the former landfill site Georgswerder. The igs 2013 and the IBA will emphasise the positive and exciting side of the borough: Wilhelmsburg is an international, multi-cultural, loveable and liveable borough. It exemplifies living on an island in the middle of a cultural landscape, which means leisure, recreation, holidays and a high quality of life right outside your front door – and all of this in an inner city borough.
Q: … that sounds like an attractive place to live.
HB: Many of Hamburg’s citizens have never actually been to Wilhelmsburg. We have to change from “thoroughfare to point of arrival”. In order for this to occur, we need room for meeting informally and space for communication. The new public park as the “New Centre” will help change the image. Elsewhere shopping malls or roundabouts form the centre of a borough, whereas in Wilhelmsburg the green centre as a multi-cultural meeting point will improve the quality of life. But we won’t be restricted to the 100 hectares of park in Wilhelmsburg. Green corridors and partnerships will be built throughout Hamburg and the region – the igs 2013 is meant to become an initiator of actions far beyond the shores of this river island.
Q: You seem to have a lot planned for 2013. Will there be something to see beforehand?
HB: There already are some things to see. In the summer of 2007 the igs 2013 supported the refurbishment of a listed chapel on a former cemetery that had fallen out of use. We changed it into a space for cultural events and exhibitions. Shortly after the festival “Summer in the Park” took place on this site. The festival is a very popular, annual event, which will be hosted by different boroughs until 2013.
Q: … and you’ve already started planting…
HB: That’s right. In the “United Nations Park”, we have had two planting sessions that correspond well with the slogan “In 80 Gardens Around the World” and with Hamburg’s and Wilhelmsburg’s multi-cultural character. There are people from nearly 40 different nations in Wilhelmsburg. And Hamburg is a major location for consulates. All together 103 nations have a consulate or equivalent in Hamburg, which means that Hamburg has more consulates than any other city in Europe and is third on a worldwide scale. Before the opening ceremony of the international garden show in 2013, we are hoping that all of Hamburg’s consulates will have planted a tree and have helped create the “United Nations Park” to show their commitment to Hamburg. The United Nations Park is a symbol for peaceful co-habitation of people from different cultural and national backgrounds.
Q: So these are already implementations of the scheme for the igs 2013.
HB: Absolutely. But we’ve already had some temporary events as well, such as art installations (“Pflanzendialoge”) that offer a playful approach to the topic. And there were and continue to be social and international projects, such as the development initiative “Zug um Zug”, which offered its participants the development of new skills and qualifications within the remits of urban regeneration. We also have a special emphasis on engaging the local community, for example the “City model by children” and recurring dialogue with owners of allotments. There are nine clubs and 850 allotments on the site of the showground.
Q: Some people might think, that this is a huge expense for just a few months. Will there be permanent gains for Hamburg?
HB: The main aim is the creation of permanent assets for Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg and the region. The new park at the centre of Wilhelmsburg will gain its full meaning as a public park after the show. And all of the igs 2013 and the IBA are geared towards sustainability. The town-planning and landscape projects as well as the social, cultural and educational projects will provide valuable input for a sustainable development of the borough. Forward-looking city development needs attractive and varied parks and open spaces, to cater for its citizens’ and visitors’ needs and interests. Citizens – but also tourists – primarily judge cities by their open spaces.
Q: … and how do the IBA and igs 2013 relate?
HB: Some of the projects deal with life in, at and on the water. Shorelines will be transformed into green oasis for wildlife and humans, and will invite to relax and stroll along the waterfront. The first International Building Exhibition on Hamburg’s soil is looking for model solutions to incorporating multi-cultural societies, to improving inner-city margins and to environmentally friendly and sustainable developments. Several projects are trying to develop a model for a metropolis that does not contribute overly to climate change. This relates well to the topics of the igs 2013.
Q: You have gathered a highly competent team within the “internationalen gartenschau hamburg 2013 gmbh“. Is there still room to engage the public?
HB: There is not only room to engage the public, we are actively seeking contact with the local population. Sustainable open spaces and parks will have to respect the interests and needs of the locals more than ever before, if they are to be accepted. Current trends in cities play an important role in this context. The increase in single households in cities ( at present approx. 50% of Hamburg’s households) is one significant factor, also the increase in the number of elderly citizens. Furthermore there is a strong tendency towards an international and multi-cultural society – our cities gain population mainly from other countries. But recreational behaviour in parks and open spaces also changes continuously: there is much more emphasis on playing, sports, fun, movement and fitness than there used to be. We also know from talking to people that there is a greater demand for cultural events. These open opportunities for local clubs and societies as well as other organisations to become involved and work with the igs 2013.
Q: Have people already responded to this?
HB: The local population has been actively engaged in the international competition for the public park for the 21st century or the “green centre” of the island. But the project is not yet finished. Apart from public consultation, we offer, for example, participation in events such as “Summer in the Park” or host regular meetings with owners of allotments or other interest groups.
Q: The concept for the igs 2013 sounds really imaginative and exciting. Thank you very much for the interview and the best of luck for the project, Mister Baumgarten.
