Competition success: We are very pleased to have won 3rd prize in the two-stage competition "Masterplan Mainau 2040 mit Palmenhaus" together with Henning Larsen Architects. Special congratulations to our editors Regine Keller, Franz Damm, Annika Sailer, Silvia Benedito, Dantong Su, Marcia Rosenheinrich and Laura Stoib.

The Blooming Mainau 2040
The island of Mainau is visited by more than a million people every year. Attractions such as the arboretum, the show gardens, the Mediterranean Terrace, the baroque palace, the harbour, the Schwedenschenke invite visitors to stroll and explore. Orientation is often lacking in this meander. The introduction of a new built programme for Mainau 2040, including the redesign of the landscape, offers the opportunity to restructure the walking experience on the island in connection with the greater presence of Mainau in the lake and its ecologies.

The Blühende Mainau proposal strengthens the meandering opportunities on Mainau through a clear network of paths arranged along its topographical shifts: the low level (by the water) and the high plateau. The paths are: the water loop and the plateau loop. They connect the existing trails and attractions with the new programme - built and natural.

Water Loop
It runs along the lower edge of the island. It reinforces the history and ecology of Mainau on Lake Constance by identifying five different segments according to their features and opportunities: The Schanzanlagen Path, the Moor Arch, the Harbour Path, the Flower Terrace and the "Wiggle". This circuit brings visitors closer together, the water and its biotopes, and it provides a continuous meander through the outer boundary of the island - sometimes on
land, sometimes over water and its habitats. On the north side of the island
for example, there is an opportunity to experience the wetland and bog biotopes. Here, an elevated path in the wetland "The Egg" invites active learning and observation. The water loop is about 2.6 kilometres long and corresponds to 45 minutes to 1 hour of slow meandering.

Plateau Loop
It reminds visitors that the Mainau is part of a larger geographical and ecological region. Along this loop on the island's high topographical level, visitors have a perspective on the surrounding landscapes. View corridors, "vistas" are proposed to view the sky, the Alps, the mainland and the other edges of Lake Constance. Here, visitors meander through Mainau's existing attractions,
including the new attractions for 2040, such as the Palm House, the exhibition grounds, the new greenhouses and the new landscape programme around the Great Lawn.