First Courtyard

To ensure flexible use, this courtyard will be kept largely free of built-in structures. Seating areas with minimal mobile planting are provided only along the "discovery path," evident in the highlighted floor design.

The opening to Hofgasse and the cathedral opposite appears essential. This barrier should be eliminated entirely during the day. A retractable fence system, already in use, is proposed for this purpose.

Second Courtyard, Renaissance Area

A corresponding geometric green space design is proposed for the outdoor area in front of the Renaissance-style registry wing. In the western part, a water basin with a fountain and waterfall provides cooling and invites visitors to linger at the pool's edge.

The Gallery of Honor is integrated into a hedge in the eastern part, modeled on Renaissance gardens. The hedge is trimmed in the shape of Graz's coat of arms and is intended to make Graz Castle easier to locate in satellite images.

Seating areas and the placement of Mediterranean plants from the nearby orangery complete the image of a Renaissance garden.

Second Castle Courtyard, Wooded Area

In this area, intensive greening with tall trees and mounds of earth with largely unsealed surfaces is planned. The walkway runs from south to north and east to west, coming from Hofgasse, thus removing the barrier to the Schauspielhaus.

A mound in the eastern area contains the cooling systems for the server rooms; the openings and service entrances are located along the path surrounding the building.

The covered bicycle parking area is also integrated into the green space. An intensively greened canopy is planned for the relatively large area, which is intended to contribute to improving the climate in the courtyard.

Third Courtyard

Green islands are proposed for greening and improving the climate. The trees planted on them in the northern part of the square will shade the generously glazed south facade. Delivery traffic can drive around these islands unhindered.

Three electric charging stations will be located in "green bays" with grass surfaces and borders.

Additional parking spaces, marked by floor markings, are located on a paved area. This area can therefore also be used flexibly, for example, as a summer cinema.