The chosen site is situated in Berchem, very close to the station and next to the Singel. What makes it interesting is the fact that it consists of a cluster of high-rise buildings, which give the impression of all being built at the same time and designed by the same hand. To understand the site, it is interesting to look into this historical development to see how the place changed and which different actors where involved.
The situation of the ground floor surrounding the residential buildings is nowadays miserable. Most of the time, the free space is claimed by car parkings. The few green spaces that are available near the buildings are either too small to use or unaccessible because of restrictions.
On the other hand, a lot of spaces are also very valuable but nowadays not often used or not used at all.
CURRENT SITUATION
FUTURE SITUATION | In light of the previous observations, the redesigning of the site focuses on providing qualitative and accessible public spaces. These ought to have a more public character, which will have a positive effect on the intensity of use and will help in decreasing vandalism. | My proposition is first of all to decrease the number of parking spaces and to organise them in a more public and less obstructing way. Onto the site, a ‘parking lane’ is pasted, which structures the area and turns it into a more public zone. | A second intention is to reinforce the presence of the qualitative green buffer in the residential area, by extending it through the site.
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BV Amelinckx Revisited
The project covers a site dominated by high rise residential buildings built in the sixties and seventies. Through detailed drawing of the site, documentation of the development and a possible future is established.