SINGELPARK

SINGELPARK

The Singelpark is a 6.5 kilometre-long urban park laid out along the banks of the Leiden canals and is an initiative of the inhabitants of Leiden. Circular in shape, with no beginning or end, it is a park created by and for the people of Leiden.

The Friends of the Singelpark Foundation, LOLA Landscape Architects, Leiden city council and many inhabitants and organisations in the city will be working together over the next few years to link up the city’s various urban parks and canals to form one unique, compact park. De Meelfabriek is uniquely situated on this ring between the greenery of the Ankerpark and the Lakenpark and will soon form another beautiful link in the Singelpark chain with the completion of the Meelfabriek garden.

For further information about the Singelpark, visit www.singelpark.nl

MEELFABRIEK GARDEN AND SQUARE

MEELFABRIEK GARDEN AND SQUARE

The garden of De Meelfabriek serves as a peaceful oasis amidst all the liveliness. Designed by landscape architect Piet Oudolf, renowned for his work on The High Line in New York, the garden embraces the ever-changing nature without restraining it in his designs. Oudolf masterfully utilizes the beauty of new colors and forms that each season brings. Visitors to De Meelfabriek Garden will feel a sense of familiarity while being pleasantly surprised every time.

The Square, as the focal point of De Meelfabriek, becomes a vibrant and bustling space. Residents, hotel guests, wellness visitors, shoppers, and diners, as well as those taking a stroll around the Singelpark, will all utilize the square. Thanks to the underground parking garage, the De Meelfabriek premises can be kept car-free.

PIET OUDOLF

Piet Oudolf (1944) is undoubtedly the most renowned Dutch landscape architect. His gardens and parks have gained international fame, including The High Line in New York and Millennium Park in Chicago. He resides and works in Hummelo, Gelderland, alongside his wife Anja. Oudolf is a prominent representative of The Dutch Wave, a movement in garden architecture that draws inspiration from natural plant communities, art, and the passage of time (seasons). He has received various awards, including the Prins Bernard Cultuurprijs, Sikkens Prize, Maaskant Prize, the Elizabeth Medal of Honour, and has been appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

LOLA, PETER VEENSTRA

LOLA Landscape Architects is a forward-thinking firm specializing in landscape architecture. They explore and design spatial transitions within existing cultural landscapes. With thoughtful ideas and targeted interventions, LOLA (LOst LAndscapes) aims to optimize these landscapes, transforming them into beautiful, healthy, and sustainable places. A key focus is on creating unique experiences: landscapes to wander, amaze, marvel, enjoy, and dream in. They work globally on various large-scale landscape designs, including the Singelpark in Leiden. Alongside Piet Oudolf, they designed the landscape of Gasklockan in Stockholm, an area filled with abandoned gasometers. Peter Veenstra is a co-founder and partner of LOLA, and he has received accolades such as the Maaskant Prize for young architects and the Topas Landscape Award.

pes that are constantly surprising, give pleasure and allow you to dream. They work on a variety of large landscape design projects around the world, including the Singelpark in Leiden. In partnership with Piet Oudolf, they designed the landscape around Gasklockan in Stockholm, an area full of disused gasometers. LOLA’s awards include the Young Maaskant Prize for young architects and the Topas Landscape Award.

Ontwerp De Meelfabriek in Leiden
Piet Oudolf en Ab van der Wiel

Landscape architect Piet Oudolf collaborates with LOLA Landscape Architects, who are involved in the overall layout of the site and co-designers of the Singelpark. The garden was completed in the spring of 2023, with a staggering 13,000 plants of nearly 60 different species planted. Currently, the garden is still fenced off to protect the new plantings. We hope that nature will thrive, ensuring the plants grow strong roots in the ground. Soon, we look forward to welcoming you to the garden so we can enjoy it together!

Overzicht Tuin en plein De Meelfabriek
Overview the De Meelfabriek