For the people of Velbert, Platz Am Offers forms the heart of the town centre. With the old Protestant church, the Haus Am Offers and other historical buildings, this area is the nucleus of the town and an important place of identification with it.

The urban space is an ensemble of three sections that complement one another in their design, function, and use: the Platz Am Offers at the same height as the church is a large, open town square; the Offers terraces that lead from the square to the lower-lying garden become a meeting place, providing a view of the Offershaus, and the Offersgarten forms an island of green in the town centre. The square offers space for markets, outdoor hospitality, and a forecourt for the church. The warm colour tone of the brick pavement with its flowing patterns makes the freely usable space a lively spot and forms a connection with the church façade, while benches at the edge of the square invite people to linger.

The Offers terraces with their steps and seating levels are a connecting element and a meeting place, with flower beds integrated into the seating levels leading over to the garden. With the water feature and the shady seating, the Offersgarten has become a peaceful yet lively, green haven directly by the Offershaus.

The entire town centre benefits from the appeal of this triple ensemble. The attractive greening, shady areas for spending time, and water features make a valuable contribution to climate adaptation in the town.

Design: Planungsbüro DTP Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH

Client: Technische Betriebe Velbert AöR

Project location: Germany, Velbert

Planning and realisation: 2015-2018

Photos: Nikolai Benner