Recognition | Transformation of the Helmstedt Mining Area

Helmstedt

In collaboration with WELP von KLITZING

BETWEEN ELM AND LAPPWALD – THE OPEN-CAST MINING OF THE FUTURE
ADMIRE – PRESERVE – PROCESS – EXPLORE

Wonderful landscapes and mystical places
Mystical places, archaic structures and overwhelming nature characterise the Helmstedt district. However, the special opportunity offered by the area lies not in restoring what was once there, but in accepting what exists as a document of time and utilising its unique qualities. The place tells its own story. Natural, process-oriented sequences and changes in the landscape are integrated into the concept.
Through targeted interventions, different places with their individual characters are highlighted and brought to life. Unspoilt areas are reinforced and further developed. In line with the cautious design approach, the open-cast mining lakes are filled exclusively with groundwater and precipitation water. The very slow process is an expression and quality of this approach.

The frame
The boundaries of the area are made visible and tangible by wind turbines, avenues, promenades and forest edges. This allows visitors to experience the dimensions of the place and preserves its history. As with the frame of a picture, the content becomes something special, something precious.
Country roads 244 and 245a become a ring road. Species-rich forest edges are developed between the abandoned landscapes of the open-cast mine and the ring road.
The combination of wind turbines standing at the frame and clearly marked cycle paths on the ring road emphasises the enclosure as an artificial element.

Paths and trails
A delicate network of paths and trails criss-crosses the entire area. Circular trails enclose individual sections and frame them. Cycle paths and footpaths circle the two large mining areas, while footbridges provide access to sensitive or dangerous areas.
Nature is reclaiming the area – a dynamic process controlled by the nature of the substrate and the respective site conditions. On barren, nutrient-poor soils, pioneer plants such as mosses, lichens and birches initially prevail, while willows and alders thrive in more humid areas. Sunny slopes favour the development of dry grasslands with rare herbs and grasses, while species-rich wetlands develop in sheltered hollows. Natural succession processes create a mosaic-like landscape of diverse vegetation zones, which provide habitats for a variety of animal species and transform the area into a unique natural space.