1. Singelpark Ideas Competition June 2012. Alice Foxley and Joachim Vogt, Studio KARST 1
Discover the Garden of Leiden
Introduction
Welcome to Leiden, a city and potentially also a garden. The key to
revealing the identity of the Singelpark lies in understanding its
fundamental role as the garden boundary and threshold of Leiden. Its
potential is enormous. In response to the Singelpark Ideas Compeition
brief, we propose that the development of the Singelpark is used to
reveal the latent Garden of Leiden. We forecast a time when Leiden is
recognised as an outstanding botanical city, a centre of science and
knowledge offering a world-class quality of life. The people of Leiden
are naturally disposed towards tending the Garden of Leiden, as evidenced
by their thriving subculture of street planting. The conditions necessary
to fulfil the potential are already present or developing in Leiden but a
strategy for intensification is required. Our proposal focuses on three
themes - the structure, botanical and maintenance strategies of the
Garden of Leiden.
Structure
Leiden is a small, compact city and an archetypal example of human
settlement, with clearly defined boundary, thresholds and a central
gathering place (De Burcht) located at the confluence of two branches of
the old river Rhine. Because of its fundamental structure, Leiden
strongly reminds us of an archetypal garden. The archaic image of the
confluence of two sacred rivers enclosed by a wall is interpreted in the
geometry of the earliest Persian gardens, which where reinterpreted in
Christian iconography to depict the Garden of Eden (1). Eden was
considered appropriate precedent for the design of the first botanical
gardens, which is why we also find similarities between the structure of
Leiden and Clusius's structure for the Hortus Botanicus (2, 3-4).
1 2

2. Singelpark Ideas Competition June 2012. Alice Foxley and Joachim Vogt, Studio KARST 2
To reveal the latent Garden of Leiden, we need to define and strengthen
the function and character of its boundary, thresholds, water system and
central gathering place. Apart from De Burcht, which lies outside the
scope of this competition, these priorities can be addressed through the
development of the Singelpark. It is an extraordinary cultural
opportunity.
The following section shows a simplified section through the Garden of
Leiden:
Boundary (Singelpark) De Burcht Boundary
The existing Singelpark is a composite boundary, composed of the Singel
canal, the outer ring road and buildings and inner ring of former
fortifications. The following section shows how we propose to radically
strengthen the existing function and character of this boundary:
Singel Gardens Singel Canal Singel Promenade
3
3 4

3. Singelpark Ideas Competition June 2012. Alice Foxley and Joachim Vogt, Studio KARST 3
The Singel Promenade:
The Singel Promenade becomes a formal promenade aligned by a double allée
of trees. The continuity and generosity of the Singel Promenade
encourages people to use it as the primary means of circumnavigating the
city: 2 hours by foot or 20 minutes by bicycle. The existing grassy
embankment is replaced with the hard standing typical of local canal
architecture - to enable the necessary widening of the promenade, and the
planting of a second inner row of trees. (The outer row is comprised
mainly of existing trees.) Along the Singel Promenade are existing
bridges and so thresholds to the Garden of Leiden are optimally defined
by crossing water.
The Singel Gardens:
The first impression of Leiden's identity is given at the moment of
crossing the water. For this impression to be that of a botanical city,

4. Singelpark Ideas Competition June 2012. Alice Foxley and Joachim Vogt, Studio KARST 4
the Singel Gardens must strongly and coherently express abundant and
exotic plant life. An impression of vitality is associated with the
thriving of human life of the city. A botanical strategy will unite the
identity of the individual Singel Gardens.
The Singel Gardens are connected by the Singel Gardens Trail - an
intentionally informal right of way, indicated by way-markers. The Singel
Gardens Trail is for explorers and flaneurs. People wanting to quickly
and directly circumnavigate the Garden of Leiden will use the Singel
Promenade. Intensifying the complimentary qualities of the Singel
Promenade and the Singel Gardens Trail will encourage people to use each
side of the Singel Canal in different ways, offering engaging pedestrian
experiences and encouraging people to cross back and forth over the
water. The Singel canal becomes integrated.
Ferry-boats continuously travel along the Singel Navigation on both sides
of the water offer further possibilities for exploration and discovery.
Botanical strategy
A planting strategy for the Singel Gardens needsto reinforce the
reputation of the Garden of Leiden, to be flexible enough to allow for
future urban developments and uses and to be maintainable - practically
and ecologically. If it is to be influential, it needs also to be
radical.
Love of life and the living world is a fundamental human condition and is
expressed through people’s deep affinity for plants. More often than not,
a vivid and abiding sense of wonder and wellbeing is provoked in those
places where nature and human nature are experienced as complimentary.
Intensity, variety, abundance and mysterious exoticism are the botanical
qualities required to compliment Leiden's rich cultural identity.
Maintenance strategy
The Garden of Leiden is an ambitious long-term vision, requiring top down
and bottom up participation. It should engage the community of Leiden,
and attract investment from National and International partners.
Frameworks for development need to support the identity of the Garden of
Leiden and help maintain it long into the future.

5. Singelpark Ideas Competition June 2012. Alice Foxley and Joachim Vogt, Studio KARST 5
Schematic sections through the Garden of Leiden, showing the structure
and character of its boundary: