Aarhus Musikhuspark

Reuse of materials in the green heart of the city

How can the ambition of reusing building materials be put into practice?‍

Although reuse is crucial for reducing the construction industry’s CO₂ footprint, materials such as pavements and furnishings are often discarded when urban spaces are transformed. This happens because conventional processes are designed around new materials rather than reuse. The challenge is therefore to bridge the gap between sustainable visions and practical reality.

Use local materials instead of importing new granite from China‍

At Aarhus Musikhuspark, Schønherr, as lead consultant, has worked purposefully to integrate reuse as a driving design strategy. Existing granite stones, concrete slabs, park lights, benches, and other durable materials from the former older park have been reused - not only to reduce resource consumption but also to provide the new park with texture, appropriate patina, and historical continuity.

The key to success has been close dialogue with contractors and pavers. Instead of a linear process from drawing to execution, the work was organized as an iterative, circular process. Materials were counted, recorded, and categorised according to strength and dimensions, and the drawings were continuously adjusted to match the actual possibilities on site.

Circular economy in practice‍

Today, 60% of the cobblestone paving and 68% of the concrete slabs in Musikhusparken come from reuse, and all old cobbles, setts, and granite blocks have been recycled. The project demonstrates how adjusting work processes and fostering close collaboration between landscape architects and contractors can turn circular economy into real practice.

Musikhusparken was realised in collaboration with sculptor Morten Stræde, Artelia, Habitats, FOS, as well as contractors OKNygaard and Brolæggerne. The result is a new sensory urban space that carries both a vision for the future and stories from the past.

‍