Van Valkenburgh | Tear Drop Park: Ice Walls, Rocks, and Climbable Terrain

In a narrow site surrounded by tall buildings, a long, high stacked stone wall divides the park into two areas with different climates and atmospheres: one side of the wall has sunlight and grass, the other side has shade and moist rocks. The stone wall itself is made of local layered rock, with ice forming on its surface in winter to create an ice wall, and water flowing down in summer. Children's play comes from the terrain itself—climbing rock piles, crawling through crevices, and sliding down slopes embedded in earthen mounds on long slides. The planting consists of native trees and ferns, so dense that one forgets being in a city. Shot during the day under dappled tree shadows, with clear layering of the stone wall and density of the planting. Avoid: using artificial stone, flat terrain, sparse and neatly trimmed planting, adding colorful finished play equipment.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

在高樓包夾的狹小基地中,以一道長而高的疊石牆把公園切成兩個氣候與氛圍不同的區域:牆的一側是陽光與草地,另一側是陰涼與濕潤的岩石。石牆本身為當地的層狀岩,冬季表面結冰形成冰壁,夏季有水流下。孩子的遊戲來自地形本身——攀爬石堆、鑽過縫隙、在長滑梯上滑下嵌在土坡裡的斜面。植栽為原生的樹與蕨類,茂密到讓人忘記身處都市。日間斑駁的樹影下拍攝,石牆的層理與植栽的密度清楚。避免:使用人造石、地形平坦、植栽稀疏修剪整齊、加設彩色成品遊具。