Tanabina Park

Tanabina Park is a public park in the west of Isana, around the area known as Tanabina Ponds. One of the largest parks in the city, and a relatively new one, the park covers an area of around 2.9 square kilometres. The park is named after the Tanabina tree, groves of which are planted all around the park in view of its history. The park is under the administration of the Isana Parks and Public Spaces Department.

Site and History

Tanabina Park straddles Precincts 2, 3 and 5 of Olmedor District in the western half of the city, and is joined by a series of ponds and artificial streams and rivers known collectively as the Tanabina Ponds.

Origins

The history of the park, and of these "ponds", is a unique one arising from the Fourth Global War. During that war, repeated bombings had completely devastated many neighbourhoods of western Isana, owing mostly to the dense and shoddily constructed buildings; the area that is now the park was one of the worst hit. During the postwar reconstruction, as special effort was taken to rebuild a more spacious city this time, the Izanosa Commission found itself hard-pressed for areas to build large parks in until they came across this area; on their recommendation the government hired Sharede Nisau and Ifesin Asav to design a park on the site in 1948.

The proposal to build a park on the site sparked considerable resistance from the public, as the area had once been residential land and many victims of bombing had been buried there during the bombings; nonetheless work began in 1949, with the compromise that any exhumed bones and remains would be cremated and placed within a shrine in the park. The huge craters left behind in the bombings, many of which had filled up with rainwater, proved an inspiration; they were drained and reinforced with concrete before being filled with water again, after which the largest ponds were joined by a series of streams to form a complete system winding through the park. This core project was completed by 1952, and by 1957 work on the landscapes was mostly complete; the next year, in March 1958, the park was formally opened to the public.

Features and Situation

Nowadays the park is one of the most popular and famous recreational areas in Isana; besides drawing locals it is also becoming a tourist attraction. Constant efforts by the city administration to upkeep the park has kept it a highly pleasant public space, as well as an important historical reminder in the country.

Design

The park was designed by Sharede Nisau and Ifesin Asav, who were relative unknowns at that time; their proposal for the plan, however, caught the eye of both Solanmer Izanosa and Egeni Tayor, the Chief Engineer and Chairman respectively of the Urban Regeneration and Planning Board.