The Sponge Park Design Competition forms part of the EU-funded SpongeWorks project. Trikala, a city in in Greece, is one of the project's case study areas where a Sponge Park has been proposed to help address climate change-related challenges. Greek project partners collaborated with LUH to devise a competition that tapped into the creativity and expertise of university students, generating inspiring design ideas for a real-life Sponge Park.
The key objective of the competition was to create a public engagement space showcasing how nature-based water management features can address water-related challenges such as flooding, drought and water quality issues in Trikala. In December 2025, Sten Koppenhagen, a BSc student in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, was announced as the winner of the Sponge Park Design Competition.
Sten’s proposal, titled: “Catch the Rain”, impressed the Greek partners with its innovative, creative and professional approach. The design transforms a flood-prone riverside into a visible demonstration of climate resilience. Using nature-based solutions, the project reconnects people, water, and landscape through a multifunctional public space that captures, stores, and reuses rainwater.
Key elements include a retrofitted Bus Stop that collects rainwater and solar energy, a plaza and flood-retention amphitheatre combining social use with water storage, a retention basin that filters runoff, and bioengineered riverbanks that stabilise the slopes. A network of permeable paths links the park to the wider city. Together, these measures create an educational landscape that reduces flood risk, enhances biodiversity and microclimate, and illustrates how small-scale interventions can strengthen urban resilience.
Since being selected as the winner, Sten has met with Greek colleagues to discuss how his proposal can be brought to life. He has also been invited to Trikala to visit the site and see the Sponge Park development first-hand as his ideas begin to take shape – an exciting and well-deserved opportunity!
Congratulations to Sten, and thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal. The SpongeWorks team extend its sincere appreciation to all participants for their creativity and hard work.
Sten’s full proposal can be made available on request. Please email Dr Phoebe King (king(at)umwelt.uni-hannover) or Sten Koppenhagen (sten.koppenhagen(at)gmail.com).
