Master vision for new leisure infrastructure, Londerzeel, BE

This master vision explores the opportunity to reinvent the unstructured inner building blocks of the centre as green town gardens, a counterpart of the mostly mineral historical streets and plazas. A system of existing and new bicycle and walking routes connects these town gardens and offers a safe alternative to the busy streets. This creates a network of green meeting places, with room for recreation, play and relaxation. Simultaneously, these town gardens form the basis and precondition for new development. The inner building blocks are activated with new functions and qualitative housing projects.

The town has a need for new infrastructure for leisure programs, such as a library and an extension of the art academy. Such investments in leisure infrastructure don’t happen that often and have a big impact on the town. The central question is: how can we use this new leisure infrastructure to impact the town in the most positive way. This master vision aims to answer that question.

We saw the opportunity to prepare the urban fabric of Londerzeel step by step for the challenges of the 21^st century with regard to mobility, climate change and demography and simultaneously make the town centre more attractive and legible.

Our vision on the scale of the town was tested in detail on one particular building block with a lot of potential. The potential to create a large new town garden by restructuring the open space. The potential to preserve a historical and iconic fire station and transform it into a new leisure hub with the library at its heart. The chance to rethink an unsafe intersection as a forecourt surrounded by lively facades, and the chance to create a new meeting hub in the town around a cluster of functions combining care and culture.

Due to the corona pandemic, the participation process with the inhabitants was organised digitally. Nevertheless, it was a great success with over 320 respondents for the questionnaire. There was broad support for the concept of the town gardens and it also helped us to make a better evaluation of different scenarios.

Project Facts

Scope of work

Making a master vision for new leisure infrastructure

Collaboration

IDEA Consult (real estate expert)

Location

Londerzeel, BE

Scale

Village centre (study area). Approx. 3 ha (project area)

Client

Municipality of Londerzeel

Status

Completed, 2021