Article by Fleur Groeneveld
Present-day landscape architects face many challenges. With the increase in dense urban environments, the development of diverse and sustainable spaces is urgent. This leads to spaces, mainly parks and squares, often having to comply with an overloaded program to make the spaces climate resilient, yet also a nice place to visit, stay, and experience. However, an overloaded program doesn’t necessarily mean that a design needs many attributes, as sometimes less can be more. The design of the Lebuinuspleinen by BoschSlabbers, for example, shows how this latter principle can be applied in modern designs.
Lebuinuspleinen with the Lebuineskerk in the background. Picture by Jeroen Musch
The Lebuinuspleinen was redeveloped a few years back after the municipality of Deventer decided that the surroundings of the Lebuinuskerk required a redesign. The Lebuinuskerk, founded in the 15th century, consists of many details and with its immense height gives off a grandiose appearance. However, the previous surroundings of the church didn’t do the same. As they were designed separately and maintenance was lacking, the direct surroundings felt completely disconnected from the Lebuinuskerk. And between the bumpy asphalt and the high presence of cars on the Stromarkt, the Nieuwe Markt, and the Grote Kerkhof, the place felt dull and unwelcoming.
This led to the decision from the municipality of Deventer to redesign the place. Their wish was for a design to form a unity with the old city center, invite people to meet and stay, and be accessible to everyone. It was up to BoschSlabbers to make a design that could count on broad support from those involved in the redesigning process, so that the project could be realized and experienced. The redevelopment plan for the Lebuinuspleinen was eventually carried out, resulting in an area where the squares naturally merge into one another and provide a warm welcome when you enter the city from the IJssel. Not only that, but it is also a prime example of how in modern landscape architecture the principle of less is more can be applied.
Displays of the water square during the day (left) and the night (right). Pictures by Bart Ros
This principle of “less is more” can be linked on different levels to one of the main traits of the Lebuinuspleinen: its open and spacious design. For example, the effect of this openness on the use of space within the square. On the southwest side of the main square, terraces are located, while on the east side, a water square is located. This allows for various economic, social, and recreational activities in the square, even when the middle part is left open. This open space was created to leave room for events that also took place on the squares before the redevelopment, but it was also used by BoschSlabbers as an opportunity to highlight the presence of the church and emphasize its connection to the surroundings. This resulted in a calmer and more apparent medieval aesthetic of the squares, versatility in functions and movement of the square, and an uncomplicated design to navigate through. A great example of how in some cases a minimalist design can lead to more.
As is evident in the name of the squares and church, St. Lebuinus is an important historical figure in the history of this part of Deventer. St. Lebuinus crossed the IJssel in the 8th century, to build the Lebuinuskerk on its current site, after which the surroundings continued to develop. In a way, the representation of this history behind the Lebuinuspleinen can also be seen as a form of “less is more”. The team working on this project didn’t choose to represent the history by commissioning a large statue of St. Lebuinus, but rather they chose to put a few references in the details of some of the attributes on the squares. For instance, the team incorporated the Staff of Lebuinus into the design of the lampposts, which are now called the “Lebuinusmasten”. Putting the church literally in the (spot)light and giving more emphasis on its grandeur. Another example are the tree rings which contain text fragments. These text fragments aim to make people stop and read them, as a way to spark curiosity for the history of the Lebuinuspleinen. Two details that show how a design can create and show links from the past in a way that might not be as obvious as building large referencing statues or such.
Left the Lebuinusmasten, right the tree rings. Photos by Jeroen Musch
What is striking from the design of Boschlabbers is that there are no modern planting areas, as often seen in many projects today. Modern projects often play with a variation in height and species of the vegetation. However, with the Lebuinuspleinen, the team leading the project felt that there was no need for this, as the nature of the IJssel is not even 30 meters away from the site. Without the low vegetation, more space was created for events, movement, and relaxation, stimulating people to stay longer in the square. Simultaneously, the lack of low vegetation contributes to the openness of the squares, causing the medieval/urban aesthetic to become more apparent, helping the church and squares to merge better with the city. Besides, the fact that there is less low vegetation present in the square, doesn’t mean the square isn’t future-proof. With its timeless design, the square will most likely still be functional in 50 years.
Even though there isn’t much low vegetation, multiple trees contribute to the open character of the squares. As their branches and leaves are off the ground, it creates a lot of open space for people to navigate through. The trees have also been placed on opposite sides of the square, emphasizing the empty space in between and framing the church, focussing the attention towards it rather than from it. This shows that rather than overflowing the Lebuinuspleinen with lots of variety in vegetation, planting the vegetation strategically emphasizes the open character of the squares and the church, while also creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Terras at the Lebuinuspleinen by nightlight. Picture by Jeroen Musch
Important to note is that even though the redesign of the square might have an open and seemingly simple approach, the project team put a lot of thought and effort into making the centuries-old square more sustainable and climate resilient. This becomes evident when looking at the vegetation and cooling effects of the squares. In the design, 28 trees were selected to keep, while 21 new trees were drawn in and at the Botermarkt space was created for some low vegetation. It might seem like a relatively low amount of vegetation, but it still has a significant cooling effect on the surroundings, while also providing multiple shadow spots to sit in. Next to the vegetation, the big water square causes evaporation which also works in a cooling manner. The low maintenance of the vegetation and the cooling effects they hold creates a timeless design that multiple generations can enjoy in the future.
Principles Lebuinus. Picture by BoschSlabbers
Another step in making the Lebuinuspleinen more future-proof in the aspect of climate change was the disconnection of rainwater from the sewer system. With the new design, the water ends up in a separate infiltration structure, which forms a buffer against rainwater and ensures that it infiltrates in the sandy underground. This has resulted in having more space and a bigger buffer capacity in the already existing wastewater systems. Having made small adjustments in the relief of the roads and squares, they are now also capable of temporarily storing rainwater, relieving the wastewater systems even more. The changes might not seem big, but they do have a significant effect on the wastewater situation of Deventer.
Other aspects that were explored in order to increase the sustainability and future-proofness of the square included minimizing CO2 emissions and transport kilometers. This was done by reusing a lot of materials or getting them from local markets. For the Grote Kerkhof the material for the ground is a mix of old baked pavers from the old square. At other parts of the project, regional Achterhoeks padvast was used, allowing better water infiltration to the ground and with its light color having a positive effect on the heat stress.
Lebuinuspleinen at night. Picture by Jeroen Musch
As stated on the website of BoschSlabbers: “BoschSlabbers combines a down-to-earth and realistic take on spatial issues with an original and creative solution-based approach.” (About us, 2024). This motto can be seen in the redesign of the Lebuinuspleinen, where Boschlabbers used an original approach that wasn’t too complex but rather kept it clear and spacious. With a very open, but practical design, the square has a very calm, but impressive aesthetic, giving the Lebuinuskerk its grandeur back. The Lebuinuspleinen is a good example of a modern square in which the principle “less is more” can be applied. Showing that a modern square doesn’t require a specific amount of vegetation, extravagant art pieces, or complicated water structures, but can be rather anything as long as the design is designed and executed well.
Sources About us. (2024). BoschSlabbers. https://www.boschslabbers.nl/en/about-us/
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