Van Ouwerkerk Architectural design

PROJECTS

L&C Fashion	The Hague	2011-05	interior
S&H Tyres	Moerdijk	2011-04	office
Dutch Prison System		2011-03	research
Villa W	Geldrop	2011-02	interior
Villa Almancil	Almancil (pt)	2011-01	villa
DMC Spuiplein	The Hague	2010-06	public
Chongming Island	Shanghai	2010-05	urban
Mythenquai Strand	Zürich	2010-04	public
Blijdorp Research	Rotterdam	2010-03	research
Zuidplein Theatre	Rotterdam	2010-02	public
Villa K	Middelburg	2009-03	interior
A Really New House		2009-02	research
Place de la Roue	Brussels	2009-01	public
MFA Hillesluis	Rotterdam	2008-02	public
Rabobank Store	Amsterdam	2007	interior
Dauphine	Amsterdam	2006-01	interior

Submitted by lietrik on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 15:26

public

Place de la Roue

Brussels

2009-01

Place de la Roue is a new public square near the city centre of Brussels. The square is situated at a junction where three districts of the city come together. The square is lifted about 30 centimeters high and folded to the sun side. There is a community centre located beneath the sloping half of the square with its entrance in the centre.

The buildings located around the square showing a richness of diversity. Some of them are very old, some of them are well maintained and some of them are covered with synthetic boarding. This diversity of architecture is a special visual quality of this neighbourhood and is created by its inhabitants. The inhabitants like this diversity. This is the typical character of their neighbourhood: the genius loci.

The community centre underneath the square is inferior to its neighbourhood. The square will make its visitors aware of the quality of the neighbourhood. The folded part of the square creates a stage of the other half and will make the side buildings as its scenery. Visitors will be actors and spectators at the same time. The square can be used as an open theatre, a social meeting point or just to hang around.

The surface of the square which consists of rough timber planks, reminds to the stage function and will keep graffiti painters away.

Thanks to:
Yves Malysse [URA Brussels]
Joost Verstraete [URA Brussels]