Railroad Park, located in downtown Birmingham Alabama, is a 19 acre green space with nine acres of open lawn. The rest of the land area is landscaped with over 600 trees and a varied mix of flowers and plants. Recycled and re-used objects from the site are used in many of the walls and seating areas made from welded wire gabion baskets. Water is a main feature in the park. A lake, pond, wetland area and streams are scattered throughout covering 30% of the area. Many paths wind throughout Railroad Park and the Rail Trail extends the length of the park. At its highest point there are views of the city. Railroad Park is among five finalists selected to compete for the Urban Land Institute's Urban Open Space Award.
Gabions are versatile and Railroad Park in Birmingham makes creative use of them. Scattered throughout this recently constructed urban park are many different gabion structures. They are not only design elements adding definition to areas of the park but they are also dramatic features that perform a specific function.
Welded wire baskets filled with stone form a gabion wall that holds back the earth. The path through the canyon leads off towards the tracks and the park's perimeter.
A retaining wall alongside one of the waterways flowing through the park forms a straight line in contrast to the curved shore in the foreground. Loose stones fill the space between the water and the wall.
This playground perimeter is defined and protected by a curved wall of stones enclosed in gabion baskets. Contours and varying height are easily achieved using gabions.
Areas extending into the water are built up with gabions, creating a tranquil space for seats on either side of a shade tree planted in the middle. There are several of these areas spaced along the shoreline. The structure harmonizes with the benches and wall in the distance.
Fiberglass grating secured to the top of the welded wire baskets provides comfortable seating areas throughout the park. The long gabion wall in the background runs along the edge of another pond.
Recycled hand cast bricks from the area are also used to fill the galvanized gabion baskets. Stacked in an orderly pattern, they contrast in color and shape with the rough stones used elsewhere.
Gabion baskets allow for flexibilty in landscape design. They can be used in any project, large or small, residential or commercial. They can be used purely as a design element or as a funtioning structural piece. In addition to this flexibily, gabions also save time and labor during the construction phase. So easy to handle and assemble, many do-it-yourself projects can be built by the homeowner. It is far easier to postion and fill an empty basket with rocks than it is to move boulders and large rocks into place. Consider using welded wire gabions in you next project.
Watch the video about Railroad Park.
