Így élt Schossberger Klára, a festőművész

Pagony Landscape and Garden Architects Kft. won the Landscape Architecture Award for the reconstruction of the park of BOTANIQ Castle of Tura

Following the entry of dr. Ágnes Herczeg, Pagony Landscape and Garden Architects Kft. won the Landscape Architecture Award for the reconstruction of the park of BOTANIQ Castle of Tura in the category of heritage conservation projects and historic gardens. The park on 10 and a half hectares was renewed during a five-year-long reconstruction work while keeping the legacy of its two original designers, Ármin Petz and Vilmos Jámbor.

 Pagony Landscape and Garden Architects Kft., which was in charge of the reconstruction of the park of BOTANIQ Castle of Tura, received a prestigious award: in the Landscape Architecture Award 2021 competition, the office won the prize of the best in the category of heritage conservation projects and historic gardens. The application of dr. Ágnes Herczeg was evaluated by a jury of 10 experts, and the landscape architect’s office was awarded the prize for its five-year-long reconstruction work in the castle park.

The Landscape Architecture Award is designed to reward outstanding works from a technical and aesthetic aspect, and the execution of which contributes to the prestige of landscape architecture. These projects meet the principles of sustainable development, and they contribute to the well-being of the society. There are a number of sub-categories in which the realized landscape architecture works can enter the competition.

BOTANIQ Castle of Tura is surrounded by a lovely park with ancient trees on 10 and a half hectares, and it was restored according to the original garden architecture plans and relying on the research findings in relation to the history and archaeology of the garden. A great part of the Hungarian horticultural work has been destroyed by the storms of history, therefore it is very rare if the combination of a castle with a garden can still be saved. Tura belongs to these, therefore it was of key importance for the developer to renew the park in accordance with the heritage of the two horticulturists, Ármin Petz and Vilmos Jámbor.

The area of the park was divided into seven units, they are the so called ‘moods’: forest, tranquillity, journey, dream, game, time and diamond are intended to symbolize the values represented by the castle. It is the different species and designs of plants of the different units that create the unique atmosphere of each section of the park. The garden is home to more than 2,000 trees: among the most typical species there is English oak, pyramidal English oak, beech and horse chestnut, but there is also tulip tree, weeping willow, Gingko biloba, larch and yew tree in the park. There is going to be a model farm created in the castle park, on the territory of the former Horse Farm. As a first step, the garden of Hungarian pears has already been created, where we can taste numerous species of this delicious fruit. As part of the ecological and representative planting out realized in 2020, 40 old trees and thousands of shrubs, ornamental grasses and other types of grasses were included in the diverse plant resources of the park.

“Maintaining quality guarantees the further success of the castle garden. Along with high-quality execution, which was represented by Lyra Florae, it is important that the park shall retain the key value it has in itself during its operation, as well. The garden is not only an artistic work, but it is also a living organism requiring attention. The castle park of Tura is a gem of garden heritage, through which an insight is provided into the high level of Hungarian garden art and garden culture”, said dr. Ágnes Herczeg, lead architect of Pagony Landscape and Garden Architects Kft.

 

“There exists an extraordinary symbiosis between the castle and its park, and the BOTANIQ experience is made complete with the fantastic garden. It is our great pleasure that, following the two different tourism awards received by the castle this year, it is now that park that has received a prestigious award. Congratulations to Pagony Landscape and Garden Architects office, and we would also like to thank them for the marvellous job they did in the park”, said Zoltán Somlyai, head of the hotel division of BDPST Group.

The castle hotel received two other professional recognitions last year: in January, BOTANIQ Castle of Tura received the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards 2021, and in summer, the castle received an international tourism award, that is, it won the “Best European Castle Hotel 2021” prize during the International Travel Awards competition.