Previous state
The market square in Tienen, the Grote Markt, is typical of those of old markets in Belgian towns, but this one is notable for being one of the country’s biggest. In recent times, it has mainly been used as a car park, thus reflecting a vehicle-dominated lifestyle. The project area, covering some 18,000 square metres and almost all paved, consisted of several areas: a main square with monumental buildings, a church with a small square surrounded by tall trees, and two side squares with their own characteristics.
Aim of the intervention
The initial plan was generic and included a long list of functions: as a car park, market, commemorative space, tourist attraction, venue for concerts, park, et cetera. In order to meet this range of requirements, the square was divided into a series of spaces with their own qualities and identities. The aim was to reduce the scale of the large open space to create a main central square surrounded by a green façade and an urban park. A strategy of collaborative design was also promoted, involving users and residents in participative processes.
Description
The project envisaged the square as a set of “rooms” with smooth transitions between each space to ensure they were on a human scale. Local stone materials preserved in situ were reused (with various finishes and sizes) to pave the square, thus respecting the needs of sustainability and local identity. On the southern side, two lateral squares were designed, each with its own atmosphere. Native plants and trees were planted in a garden around the church to make a small urban park. The complex included monuments, art, bicycle parking, and public toilets. On the opposite side of the garden, a façade was designed with a four-metre-long zone of transition—to blur the boundaries between square and façade—with green parterres on one side and, counterbalancing them, columns on the other side.
Assessment
After almost ten years of work with neighbourhood participation, the Grote Markt has been transformed into an accessible, functional, and multipurpose space. Accessibility has been improved by eliminating differences of level and the conversion of a large part of the space into a car-free zone. In functional terms, the square has now become a meeting point, a venue for events, an area of terrace bars, and an urban park. Regarding ecological impact, four thousand square metres were demineralised and almost a hundred trees were planted inside the project perimeter, thereby contributing to creating a green, sustainable environment. The new central square offers a variety of different spaces and fosters new ways of meeting and experiencing work, leisure, and interaction, for local residents and visitors alike.
[Last update: 23/07/2025]
