STW0018 - BRUSSELS - Klavertje Vier
design: a school esplanade for cycling
type: public space
client: City of Brussels
designteam: act. (Studio Thomas Willemse + Emilie Bechet + Sarah Poot)
participation: WAUW
mobility: Tractebel
time: 2019 - …
The challenge for this project is to propose a layout that meets the immediate needs of the school and can be fitted into the planned projects for the area.
The central road will be retained, but it will be narrowed locally. A large gardian tree will be planted on either entrance of the forecourt, centrally in the road, forcing drivers to slow down.
The choice of materials is thoughtful: pavement and cobblestones are largely reused, joints are opened up to promote water infiltration. Red clay bricks add colour to the school environment.
The connection to the adjacent brutalist plinth is made with a large landscape staircase. This staircase is both a passage and a resting point and serves as a meeting place and a connection to the school. The forecourt will have long concrete lines reminiscent of the old railway track, with benches that facilitate meeting and interaction.
To enthuse children for cycling, bicycle challenges will be integrated in the forecourt. These will be signposted and coherently incorporated into the landscape. Modest but effective interventions that lend themselves to intensive use.
Rows of trees will be planted with species already present in the neighbourhood.