Parc de la Distance imagines post-pandemic landscaping

Have you ever stopped to imagine what a post-pandemic park would look like? Even though open spaces offer more security, it is essential to maintain a safe distance. With this in mind, the Precht studio , based in Austria, designed a project for a possible park in the future. Similar to a maze, it ensures social distancing outdoors. The proposed installation is on an empty lot in Vienna. Chris Precht, founder of Precht Studio, came up with the idea for Parc de la Distance after witnessing the closure of several public spaces around the world. He told Dezeen that he asked himself "what would a park look like and how would it function if there were social distancing rules in place?" social as a design guideline? And what can we learn from a space like this that still has value after the pandemic?"

Maze-shaped park

The park would have numerous paths divided by 3-foot-wide bushes to maintain a safe physical distance between visitors. Arranging the paths in a fingerprint-like spiral pattern creates many routes that can be used simultaneously. Each of these paths is lined with red granite gravel and is approximately 600 m long. Gates at the entrances and exits of each of the routes, which would take about 20 minutes to walk, would indicate whether a route is occupied. "I see the origins of the design in French Baroque gardens, but there is also inspiration from Japanese Zen gardens , with its circular movements", says Precht.

Refuge in nature

While Precht designed the park in response to the current coronavirus outbreak, he believes such a park would be beneficial to cities after the pandemic. “For now, the park is designed to create safe physical distance between its visitors. After the pandemic , the park can be used to escape the noise and hustle and bustle of the city. And for those who want to be alone for a while. I have lived in many cities, but I don't think I have ever been alone in public. I think that is a rare quality”, he says.