The Sibeliuspark in Oss has been transformed from a neglected, underutilized green space into a welcoming, lively, and diverse 25-hectare urban park. Designed by KCAP as landscape architect, the project features a nature-inclusive, climate-adaptive environment that integrates over 400 new trees, diverse programming for all ages, and integrated housing developments. The Urban Ox Park, featuring a skatepark, pumptrack, and calisthenics park, now serves as the beating heart of the renewed Sibeliuspark.

At 25 hectares, the park is large enough that human scale had to become its organising principle, so that visitors feel oriented rather than lost within it. A solid spatial framework, inspired by the small-scale mosaic of the surrounding rural landscape, organises the site into legible “park chambers” defined by mature existing trees and hundreds of new specimens. Threading through this framework is the project’s signature gesture: a 3.5-metre-wide park ribbon that loops the entire site. It accommodates walking, cycling, and skating, widening at strategic moments into pockets for program, furniture, and chance encounter. The ribbon also stitches the park to the Talentencampus and TOP Oss stadium beyond its edges, while keeping the rest of the park free of obstacles.

Ecology was embedded in the design from the outset rather than layered on as an afterthought. Continuous tree canopies enable bats and birds to forage and nest. Flowering meadows feed bees, butterflies, and amphibians. Ecological banks, wadis, and a western woodland edge create habitats for aquatic plants, squirrels, and hedgehogs. The park now functions as a key component of Oss’s wider ecological structure. Rainwater from roofs and paving drains visibly through open gutters into wadis that manage stormwater, boost biodiversity, and cool the park during heatwaves. Topography sculpted from a closed soil balance, including a four-metre hill built from on-site excavation, generates vistas, viewpoints, and countless opportunities for natural play.

Integrated housing developments activate the park edges. Homes are slightly elevated, with slopes and wadis negotiating the threshold between private and public. An oversized sidewalk functions as communal space, promoting interaction between residents and visitors. A program developed in consultation with Oss residents, organised around sport, nature, and food, anchors the park in daily life. The Urban Ox Park, a 1,200 m² skatepark with pumptrack and calisthenics zone arranged around a wooden tribune, serves as the beating heart and hosts the annual Urban Ox Fest. Park Square hosts markets and concerts. The Hill offers sledding, sunbathing, and a 17-metre industrial swing celebrating Oss’s manufacturing heritage. Community gardens, a heath garden playground, and a central open field complete an offer that genuinely serves all ages and abilities. Together, these elements give people plenty of reasons not just to visit, but to stay.

Project Credits
Project: Sibeliuspark, Oss, The Netherlands
Year: 2017–2025
Status: Completed
Disciplines: Architecture, Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
Landscape Architect: KCAP
Client: Municipality of Oss; Park & People (Heijmans Vastgoed and Hendriks Bouw & Ontwikkeling)
Collaborators: Stichting Urban Ox Park & Koning Willem I College
Advisor: RA+ ingenieurs
Furniture Supplier: Furns
Photography: Aiste Rakauskaite

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