Location

The site is part of the North-South Railway junction, one of Brussels' longstanding urbanistic traumatisms of the past two centuries. Shortly after the South station, as it passes the Ursulines station, the junction goes underground. The site is located above the entrance to the tunnel. For decades, the site was a tendered grass field, with no particular landscape value- a few bushes on the limit with the junction, a few poplars to the side, and an open field.

Process

Recyclart is a non profit association that has occupied the abandoned Ursulines rail station for over 10 years, engaging in urban and cultural actions in its surroundings. They have initiated a number of happenings and transformations in the urban landscape, in some cases developping innovative processes with a diversity of participants, such as inhabitants and urban collectives. They have placed themselves as an intermediary between creative groups and individuals (skateboarders, artists, musicians, dancers) and the authorities. It's this reputation that brought Brusk (a collective of skateboarders in Brussels) to ask Recyclart for help in their call to develop skate-friendly spaces.

Around the same time, in Summer 2003, the Institute of Environmental Management of Brussels took upon itself to create quality public spaces that would accomodate sport-oriented activities, including skateboarding, roller-skating and bmx biking. The spaces would welcome all kinds of publics. They partnered with Recyclart to develop a project in the Ursulines square. In September of that same year, Recyclart organised an idea competition. The goal was to create an active space in the site of the Ursulines square, and all young architects, art students, architecture and landscape design (all under 25) were invited to participate.

At the end January 2004, the winners of the competition were selected: Bjorn Gielen and Floris Steyaert proposed an intriguing project, made of simple and efficient forms.

L'Escaut has reared the project to fruition, enriching it with its knowledge and experience. The original idea has evolved into its final form with the participation of l'Escaut, Bjorn and Floris, Recyclart, IBGE and Brusk..

Recyclart has coordinated the whole project development and its social aspects. Amongst other things, they've organised a number of informative sessions with the neighbours, workshops with the prospective users, classes of skateboarding for kids. They have also organised an opening festival, that took place on the 30th of April, with skating demonstrations, activities for young people and elders, music shows...

A technical challenge

This portion of the junction dates from the early 1930s, and since then its concrete structure and its sealing have never been renovated. Given the low budget of the project (1 million all taxes and costs included), meddling with the existing structure was out of question, as was overcharging it. The project had to be as light as possible. Thus, the embankment was inspired by the techniques used in mountain highways: big blocks of high density polystyrene were carved into the shapes of the ramps and the bowl, as a bed to receive the covering concrete.

Different zones occupy the whole square, according to what happens underground. Over the tunnel a mineral environment offers natural slopes and long ramps up to 45° for skating. At the intersection of the two ramps, the bowl becomes a paroxystic point, where looks and pirouettes converge. Even before being completed, the skate park and the bowl have gained international reputation as a great skating spot, as well as a welcoming space where skaters can share their culture as a testimony of art and social behaviour.

The lack of depth of the soil has induced a small amount of low vegetations. These create welcoming spaces, enhanced by the wooden furniture that is made with the same wood as the terrace. At the terrace people can pause as the wooden floor keeps it skate-free. Soft and hard materials converge: stone, wood and steel . All behaviours are allowed. A drinking fountain invites all users to relax.

On the street side, covering the tunnel, an impressive 45° slope gives ground to tall trees and a low vegetation mattress, intended to offer a soft landing for the unfortunate skaters that deviate from their intended trajectory.

Scenography

The strength of the project resides in the scenification of all the physical and historical components of the context. A huge screen embracing the sky brings the underground up to an aerial relation, in a symbolic fusion of urban fluxes (the trains and the streets) and energies (the activities in the square). The huge screen is a window on a social, cultural and economical context: A social housing building from the 70's is having a hard time welcoming its own inhabitants. At the same time, despite their dislike of the building, they won't leave such a central location in the city. The Brigittines Chapel hosts a theater, dance and exhibitions cultural center. An extension of it has been recently built, doubling its infrastructure. The Marolles area is right now in a renovation process which will bring new housing and a small business centre.

The project is thus a link for an urban process of urban space and life reappropriation. At night, this whole context is brought into a fairy-like sensation by the lighting of the square. No other supports for lightings but the screen and skating accessories.

IBGE - promoter
l'Escaut - architects
Recyclart - project management & social mediation
Skateboarder's collective Brusk - project's initiators
Bjorn Gielen / Floris Steyaert - landscape architects