G3 Park

On the basis of a largely completed traffic planning, Kieran Fraser Landscape Design was commissioned to design the outdoor facilities of the G3 Shopping Resort in Gerasdorf (4 km north of Vienna) in 2011. The design for a total area of ​​approximately 50.000 m2 includes the forecourts of the main entrances to the shopping centre and a parking lot for 3500 cars.
​The parking lot is designed as a park. The dynamic topography in formal dialogue with the architecture and the surrounding landscape creates local identity and allows for good orientation on the car park. The paths allow for continuous movement through both indoor and outdoor space, leading to water features and through a variety of shrubs and grasses. The green area around the high point of the parking lot creates a becalmed space for rest and relaxation and offers a perfect overview of the resort.

Membrane

The interaction of topography and agriculture in the area of the resort generates an image of curved lines and surfaces. Following this aesthetic and in formal dialogue with the curved architecture of the shopping centre, the car park was modelled topographically. Regarding the general perception of the site, this highly effective intervention reflects the core idea of the project. The spacious gesture of the “membrane” and the added height of up to 6 meters creates local identity and allows for good orientation on the car park. The maximum slope is 6%, which meets the national planning criteria B 1600 for barrier-free building.

Lawn grid

To minimize the sealed area of the car park and to ensure optimal drainage, 13.000 m² of lawn grid were installed on 1.300 of a total of 3.500 parking spaces. The density of the lawn grid is concentrated towards the more elevated parking spaces and thus emphasizes the topography of the “membrane”. In addition, single green parking spaces in the paved areas reinforce the gentle gradient effect from grey to green.

Plants

The G3 Shopping Resort was the first shopping centre in Austria subjected to an environmental compatibility assessment - with positive outcome. Amongst other measures, roof and terrain surfaces were created to ensure the habitat of the native crested lark and the giant peacock moth. This effort was also supported by the design and plant selection of a central green area around the high point of the car park. Formally, the planting concept refers to the geometry of the surrounding cultivated landscape (see grafic below). Predominantly native perennials and grasses are planted in a linear continuation of the neighbouring fields and form the core element of the central green area. The plant selection was compiled in co-operation with the Vienna-based design studio The Flowerbeds and evolved from their method “paint before you plant”. Five plant collections, varying in terms of colour and texture, structure the green area according to the topography and create a diversified overall picture.