architect | Gijs Van Vaerenbergh |
project | construction of three new bicycle and pedestrian connections along the canal, Brussels |
status | in study |
period | 2019 - |
client | Brussels Mobility |
in collaboration with | LandInZicht, ARA and BuroMove |
This project aims to create a smooth passage for cyclists and pedestrians along the maritime canal, within the dense fabric of the city of Brussels, by creating passages underneath existing road bridges. Simultaneously, the public spaces around these passages have been redesigned.
The two interventions proposed by UTIL-Gijs Van Vaerenbergh at the "Jules de Trooz" and "Sainctelette" sites testify to the sustainable ambitions expressed by the Brussels-Capital Region, both in terms of infrastructure and public space as well as maritime traffic in Brussels.
By meticulously mapping the existing civil art works at the "Jules de Trooz" site, UTIL-Gijs Van Vaerenbergh was able to propose passages that require no adaptation of existing infrastructure, nor the creation of new infrastructure, providing a sustainable and perfectly reversible solution.
At the "Sainctelette" site, in the corner of the Beco basin, land reclamation allows to create a public esplanade in the canal bed. It consists of a footbridge above the underground metro and car tunnel (under the canal) and three solitary islands, between which the canal water simly continues to flow.