Old square, new vibe

A newly restored church square in the heart of one of Denmark’s oldest market towns, Tønder, now surrounds the historic Christ church with cobblestone paving, walkways in warm shades of brick and two large lime trees. Great respect has been paid to the atmosphere of the place, the entire square's pavement has been rearranged in order to improve accessibility and provide more comfortable movement across the square.

Complementing the surroundings

The new church square was designed by landscape architect Birgitte Henningsen.

“Beautiful historical buildings form the frame of the church square, and the goal from the start was to find solutions that complemented the surroundings. At the same time, it was important that the square did not take focus away from the church and the surrounding buildings”, she explains and then elaborates further:

“For the walkways, we have chosen a brick in a very discreet dark colour that is subordinate to the frame. It has a slightly matte surface that develops a natural patina over time. Around the walkways, we decided to reuse the stones from the old square and re-laid these.”

Warm and inclusive

The Auxo tumbled clay paver, a reddish-brown brick with sand on the surface and a rich play of brown and reddish-brown shades now adorns the historic church square. The brick is tumbled after firing, which gives it a naturally patinated look with soft edges.

“The paver works well alongside the existing granite paving and echoes the warm tones found in both the granite and the church façade. The church square's old paving bricks were much more fiery red and took the focus away from the overall image of the church square and the church as a whole.”

This was one of the reasons the renovation project was initiated, as well as the desire from the parish council to replace the red bricks and make the church square able to meet the requirements and standards of the time.

Time for an upgrade

“The square needed renovation. It was bumpy and rutted, and the walkways were outdated and had limited accessibility for wheelchair users, among others. With an eye to the various challenges of the square, brick was chosen as the preferred pavement”, says the landscape architect.

The construction task was very demanding, as the layers under the site had to be taken into account, as well as the high groundwater level due to the town being located next to some large rivers and streams. The Auxo tumbled was selected as a suitable solution for these conditions.

“The small elements that make up the clay pavers are easy to pick up, straighten and then put back down if the coating becomes uneven over time. Where, for example, tiles or other larger surfaces are a much more extensive task to re-lay. This characteristic can facilitate maintenance and future adjustments to the paved surface.