Lakeside Quarry, Texas, USA

An old limestone quarry in landlocked Kentucky has produced plenty of summer fun and more than a few Olympic medallists. Nearly three acres of fertile frolicking territory await in an old limestone quarry that’s nestled among an eclectic collection of houses, ivy-covered 40-foot cliff walls and towering redbud and sugar maple trees. Lakeside is a pool for purists, with no golf or tennis attached. The concession stand serves burgers and dogs, the locker rooms are modest and, if you arrive wearing anything fancier than a T-shirt and flip-flops, you’re overdressed. In a world where pools tend to come in standard sizes and locations, Lakeside’s converted quarry stands out. When it was incorporated as a private club in the 1920s, the quarry lake—now 13 feet deep at its greatest depth—was home to black bass and other aquatic life. The water was dark and the bottom sandy. Over time, it became domesticated. A filtration system now circulates 3.5 million gallons of clear, chlorinated water every four to six hours. The bottom was finished in concrete (although still rough-hewn in many areas). A conventional eight-lane pool, bubbled during the winter for lap swimming, was built at one end.

Palmers Quarry Garden, Dunedin, New Zealand

Palmers Quarries have turned an old quarry site into a wonderful garden with more than 20,000 trees and shrubs. Since 1989 Palmer’s aim has been to landscape the quarry in order to visually diffuse the effect of the quarry face as seen from the surrounding residential areas. Some 200 cubic metres of soil and 500 tonnes of a soil-compost mix have been poured into planting beds constructed on the old quarry benches. The walkways, roads and park areas are well supported by the local community. Ms Hasler said Palmer & Son were nominated by the Institute of Quarrying for their effort and commitment to restoring the quarry into a garden and their work sets a standard which other companies could strive to follow. Dunedin quarry wins 1999 Green Ribbon Award to recognise the contributions and achievements made by groups and individuals towards a healthy and sustainable environment.

Quarry Golf Course, Texas, USA

Dating back to 1908, chiselled from stone to create the most dramatic golf course in Texas. The site once supplied the neighboring San Antonio Portland Cement company, and the individuals who worked at these sites lived nearby in the town of Cementville. Designed by Keith Foster in 1993, this par 71 is defined by its fascinating history and dramatic terrain.

Quarry Amphitheatre, City Beach, Western Australia

The Quarry Amphitheatre is an outdoor performance venue located close to the ocean in Floreat in Western Australia. Situated high up on Reabold Hill in Perth’s coastal suburb of City Beach, the Quarry Amphitheatre began it’s life as a working limestone quarry. At its peak, the quarry employed more than 50 workers supplying limestone to buildings across Perth. Limestone from the Quarry can still be seen in many of Perth’s early buildings. After ceasing operation in 1906, the quarry was abandoned for eighty years and became a favourite place to visit for many children who lived in the area. In 1986, the Quarry Amphitheatre as we see it today was born. Since its transformation into the amphitheatre, hundreds of local and international acts have taken to the stage under the stars. Today, the Quarry Amphitheatre is one of Perth’s most unique and spectacular outdoor performance venues.

Sandgrube in Grunewald, Berlin, Germany

This huge sand pit in Grunewald is certainly Berlin’s largest sandpit and a true children’s paradise for outdoor play. The place used to be a quarry, operating from the 1960s to the 1980s. Sand from the quarry was used for many construction sites in Berlin. The pit is about 15m – 25m deep. The Sandgrube surrounding consists mainly of meadows and trees. Some parts of the pit are below sea level and small ponds have formed there. The area is home to unique flora and fauna, which is why some parts have been declared a nature reserve and are not accessible.

Tarup-Davinde, Denmark

Tarup-Davinde is a large area of gravel excavation. As the ongoing mining is done, the pit lakes and the surrounding landscape are transformed into scenic natural areas. In addition to the many lakes, the area consists of grazed meadows, small forests, moist scrub and pastures. There are many options in Tarup-Davinde; visitors can sail a canoe, prepare food over an open fire, stay overnight in the shelter, in hammocks in the pavilion or in a tent, take part in natural history and team building, or simply go for a walk in the beautiful nature.

Himmelsøen, Denmark

Himmelsøen is a large groundwater lake that is almost invisible from a distance, as it lies deep in the former Darup Gravel Pit. Himmelsøen invites for swimming, a walk with the family, dog walking and a ride on horseback. There are three small islands reserved for birds and a breeding area for field lizards on the slopes. There are cycling trails around the lake, as well as shelters, a fire pit, a table bench set and a toilet.

Lynghøjsøerne, Denmark

Lynghøjsøerne with three beautiful lakes – Lyngager Sø, Flæng Sø and Vejgård Sø used to be a gravel pit. It has been transformed into a wonderful natural paradise for those who enjoy the outdoors. There are swimming lanes and a pontoon with tilt, mountain bike trails, shelters for camping, and plenty of fishing opportunities. In 2021, the Danish artist Thomas Dambo built one of his famous trolls – Runde Rie who sits and fishes by the middle lake all year round.

House ‘the Anti-Masseria’, Salento, Italy

Architect Massimiliano Locatelli transformed a pair of previously mining buildings into a sun-filled retreat open to southern Italian skies. Once a former gravel quarry, today the property has been transformed into Massimiliano Locatelli’s vision of a summer camp community for adults, with two single-storey, flat-roofed buildings housing eight identikit dorm-style bedrooms, and a common area with a kitchen and living room. Massimiliano used light grey gravel in memory of the place’s history as a gravel quarry.

Quarries of Jinyun, Zhejiang Province, China

Xu Tiantian’s projects in the quarries of Jinyun combine aspects of landscape planning, interior design, artistic installations, and social planning with an economic revitalization of the rural area. The semi-arid landscape of the region has been partly defined by years of mining of natural stone, resulting in over three thousand small, abandoned quarries. In a journey described as moving from “economic exploitation to ecological reuse” by Xu Tiantian, lead architect at DnA, nine of the three thousand quarries in the cluster were chosen to serve as a rather unusual stage for cultural and social activities in the region, while opening up economic and ecological opportunities for the native rural population.