New Restaurant at Neues Palais, Potsdam

The new restaurant with its surrounding open spaces is located outside the palace garden of Sanssouci, visually connected to the New Palace (Neues Palais) and the “Mopke” area in front of it. This area has always had an independent character distinguished by two historical eras – it was constructed as “Invalidengarten”, a park for people disabled in the war, but also served as a scenic grassland. Today, as back then, the area is enclosed by vegetation in the east, south and west. In the northern part unique vistas open up into the park for the visitors of the restaurant to enjoy also in the future.
The redesign of the open space takes up, interprets and transforms the historical layers with regard to the prospective usage requirements. The clear composition of the former “Invalidengarten” provides the central theme for the restaurant garden. Two beech trees representing the scenic landscape era are integrated into the formal grid. In the north a former ditch pushes between the park and the garden. This area is not altered in the context of the redesign but remains free by intention; it is planted with a blue-purple blooming salvia meadow mixture.

The future use as restaurant adds a new layer to the landscape.

The site is accessible for pedestrians via a central pathway made of granite paving stones. With a slight gradient it leads to the lower level of the restaurant. In the meadow areas on both sides of the path, the north-south structure of the grid can be read from the slight terracings and pathways in front of them.