The Danish Town of Randers is blessed with a natural river landscape, that borders directly to the city centre. There is only one problem with the “Storkeengen”, which means “stork meadow”: Due to its natural use as a flood area, the whole space is difficult to use for the residents. The renowned architects of C.F. Møller have been working on a smart concept to make the meadow accessible as city park, but also to keep its natural function.

Randers is situated on both sides along the Gudenå, the longest river in Denmark. The Storkeengen lies directly between both settlement bodies and separates them from each other. Across the river you can find the city centre, while the adjacent areas in the south are characterised by extensive residential areas. In short: The meadow would be the perfect place for a city park, if it won’t be used as a flood area. Both settlement bodies could be connected with recreational usage.

Meadow city park: Delicate Balancing Act

C.F. Møller Architects from Aarhus have tackled the challenging task of turning the area into a city park without loosing its natural function. Their concept includes elevated paths and constructions for several activities. So, they can be used even in times when the meadow is flooded by the river. The pathways and activity plateaux enable the visitors to experience the meadow’s unique flora and fauna at close hand. With the help of new cloudburst channelling routes in adjacent areas, water is collected from roofs, car parks and roads, and led on to Storkeengen. Here, the water is collected in purification basins, designed as natural wet meadow areas, before being led out to the Gudenå. Additional dykes and the improved flow of water during cloudbursts strengthen the efficiency as a flood area even further.