Previous state
Brigittines Park is located between the North-South connection (a key Belgian railway link) and the Brigittines high-rise block of social housing, a remnant of tough urban development policies in Brussels. In this area, which is also near the seventeenth-century Brigittines chapel, there was no quality public space. Paths that led nowhere and a slab covering a parking lot created feelings of insecurity. In a densely populated area like the Les Marolles neighbourhood with its considerable intergenerational mix, it was necessary to transform this area into a functional space that was open to the community.
Aim of the intervention
The design of the park focused on play, crafts, and shared space. The chief aim was to transform a closed area, which felt dangerous, into an accessible extension with which the community could identify. The project was organised around four main elements: the slab, the flat area, the wall, and the workshop. The slab connects private and public spaces and the flat area offers areas of interaction. The wall, which links the high-rise block and the cultural centre, includes play structures, while the workshop extends into community space with a rooftop garden.
Description
Focusing on reuse and sustainability, the project opted for an intervention that was more about “subtracting” than “adding”. Salvaged bricks were used for facades, and a permeable rhyolite gravel roof was chosen for better water management. A multi-sports court has a filter bed that collects rainwater. The slab, accessible from the workshop and open to local residents, is decorated with a work by Vincent Glowinski, which functions as a visual element and in interactive children’s games. A tree was planted in the centre as a symbol of regeneration while, accessible from the workshop and open to residents, the rooftop vegetable garden performs an ecological and community function.
Assessment
The complex design process had to overcome political, social, and environmental challenges. The project demonstrated its value as a way of revitalising neglected areas, as well as transforming an unsafe place into a functional intergenerational meeting point. It has also contributed significant improvements in water management and sustainability of the park.
[Last update: 16/07/2025]
