Porte de Ninove

Client: Bruxelles environnement / base & Suède 36 / 2,5 ha / 0,8 M€

Located between the municipalities of Brussels and Molenbeek and at the edge of the canal, the Ninove Gate was for a long time an industrial void abandoned at the gates of the city. The destruction of the old warehouses and the redesign of the infrastructure make it possible to clear 2.4 ha of free space in the heart of one of the most densely populated areas of the region.
Designed with the consultation of the inhabitants using the 4-colour method, this new public space fulfils essential functions: to link and animate the neighbourhoods, that of a green lung that meets the needs of fun, sports, culture and relaxation.
At the center of the project, a vast urban meadow is arranged in a succession of inclined rings, allowing, with works of steps and slopes, to protect the lawn from intensive trampling by limiting access.
Around the meadow are various circulations, furniture and services, as well as several islands, treated as gardens, allowing to offer a maximum green surface throughout the site.
In the heart of the meadow, a wet garden testifies to the importance of water and the canal in the site’s history. The entire plant palette characterizes of the damp valleys of the Senne, an ancient waterway of Brussels now buried.