TARKHANOVO All Seasons Park

2021 Open International Competition by TEHNE Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El, Russia Client: Hinterlands Urbanism and Landscape, Chicago, Illinois, USA Team: Grant Penfield Haugen and Conor O’Shea Role: Cultural Insights, Narrative and Planting Strategy

Project Location: Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El, Russia

This competition entry is a local and regional destination that provides year-round opportunities for visitors of all ages and new habitat for urban wildlife.

Tarkhanovo All Seasons Park’s planting strategy is inspired by both Russia and, in particular, Mari El Republic’s rich, multicultural past. Trees, shrubs, grasses, herbaceous perennials, and bulbs from the Scandinavian and Russian Raiga Ecoregion are selected for their cultural meaning, ability to withstand climate change, and ecological function. Trees that refer to Russia’s poetic and mythological soul can be found throughout the park. Existing Birch and Rowan trees are reused as retaining walls, helping express both local identity and the site’s history. The planting palette is integral in attracting park visitors, as it displays multi-seasonal interest, signaling a safe space with year-round human and animal activity. This extends itself to encouraging exploration of the fauna; from fragrant flowers that create distinct aromas to the buzzing of bees and sounds of grasses gently blowing in the wind, the park creates lasting memories by activity engaging all the sense. The park is a new meeting point for all types of fauna. In conjunction with Yoshkar-Ola’s ecoregion, vegetation is selected and planted that allows wildlife to secure proper nutrition and shelter. Local identity is celebrated through a planting strategy that also anticipates an unpredictable climate, from drought to large storm events.