Lost in a green maze? Welcome to the Kunstpause art break. Right here in Dortmund a hidden oasis existed. It wasn’t always this way. Before 2016 this hazelnut grove was overgrown and neglected. Located near a busy motorway and Dortmund’s harbour it was a forgotten space. Atelier le balto a Berlin landscape architecture firm transformed it. They saw potential a non-place as ethnologist Marc Augé described it. A place of transit beneath a six-lane road and railway tracks. Yet also a refuge for walkers and cyclists.
The artists on a bike tour discovered this unlikely spot. They were captivated by the grove’s large hazelnut bushes. They resembled a naturally grown architecture. They cleverly preserved its original character. They added wooden walkways decks and fences. They didn’t want to destroy the original natural form. They wanted to enhance it to bring out its unique beauty.
The Kunstpause installation was more than just pretty wooden structures. It added a new quality to this previously undefined space: the quality of lingering. The walkways and terraces invited passersby to slow down and appreciate this special place. Follow the path and you’ll reach the grove’s heart. A perspective shift occurs a change in acoustics. The traffic and train noise fades. Near the Emscher river a tribune-like structure offers a view of the renatured waterway.
The Kunstpause installation wasn’t static. Between 2016 and 2021 the vegetation changed significantly. The area acquired new attributions. A nearby skate park with Roberto Cuellar’s sculpture The Stage altered the environment. This led to a major redesign in 2022 creating new connections with the surroundings. Sadly due to a fungus damaging the larch wood the Kunstpause was unfortunately dismantled in August 2024. However the hazelnut grove remains a testament to its unique transformation a place of quiet contemplation amidst the urban buzz. The future of the Kunstpause is uncertain. But its legacy as a place for repose lingers.