Colmar, France, 2015

A leafy cloister

Square de la Montagne Verte Colmar

Greenings in the urban space are not only beautiful to look at, but offer many other advantages. The arches of the square provide shade and structure the space. Cables by Jakob Rope Systems play a prominent role in the design.

The redesign of the Square de la Montagne Verte and the Place du 2 Février in the old town of the Alsatian Colmar gave the city a new green lung. The 24 steel arches are connected with wire ropes by Jakob Rope Systems that serve as climbing aids for plants and thereby provide shade.

The overgrown ropes create a green corridor that resembles a cloister and echoes the history of the former Franciscan convent that existed at the site. Like the medieval cloisters, the greening provides a calm space that is popular among residents and tourists in the often busy city centre.