CITYGATE II, BRUSSELS
BOOM Landscape, together with Aurélie Hachez, Korteknie Stuhlmacher Architecten, Sergison Bates architects and noAarchitecten, is helping to build Citygate II, a new district in Petite Île in Brussels. Citygate II is part of a prestigious plan for the redevelopment of the Kanaalzone, a former industrial area next to the canal. What is envisaged is a dynamic neighbourhood where housing, businesses and social functions co-exist naturally. This area will remain a productive part of the city by providing – in typically Brussels fashion – business spaces on the ground floor of multi-storey, multi-functional buildings.
Assembled city
Citygate II is a “city within a city” with 370 flats, a primary school, community centre and 15,000 m2 of commercial space for creative and artisanal businesses. BOOM Landscape designed all the public space for the new neighbourhood, giving it a distinction that parallels the architecture of Citygate II. Both are part of the “assembled city” concept, which entails that the architecture is to serve the common good or, in other words, have a positive influence on the public space it invariably creates. From another perspective, this also means that the nature of the public space is a direct result of the functions within the buildings and the interactions with their ground floors.
Green public spaces, private courtyards and rooftops
Public space within the neighbourhood is extremely diverse: from avenues, streets and alleys to open squares and enclosed courtyards. What they all have in common is that they are designed to have logical flow and be immediately recognisable in terms of use. Some spaces are very open, while others feel intimate. For example: a public square might invite both locals and visitors to come together or a green courtyard may be where you encounter a neighbour from the same block and stay for a chat. Other spaces were designed to be clearly read for specific uses: a kitchen garden where you and your neighbours plant vegetables and fruit trees, sports spaces where everyone can play basketball or badminton, or a skate park for skaters.
Continuously connected public spaces
There are two main public squares in the neighbourhood. To the east is Place de Createurs: a friendly city square where small local events or markets can take place under the trees. To the south is the Expedition Mews: a road with shops and business where there’s always a buzz. Leading off from these spaces are various passageways that take you deeper into the life of Citygate II – into public spaces that gradually become more intimate. For example, next to the school is the Place de Tous protected by trees, in Jardin de Dante is the vegetable garden and at Cour de la Petite Senne is the smallest woods in Brussels. These various public spaces are all interconnected by way of smaller passages and each of these smaller passages start at the Expedition Mews. They also each have their own flavour, which makes for a fun and interesting walk through the neighbourhood.
Consistent paving
The whole neighbourhood is unified by a single type of paving stone: polished sandstone. The sandstone is laid in different patterns with various dimensions, but all patterns have quite wide joints to allow the ground to absorb rainwater. The uniformity of stone creates cohesion and serves as a calm foundation for the diversity taking place at ground level: the multifunctional buildings and the various types of public spaces. Also, polished sandstone has historically always been the stone of choice in Brussels and so it fits perfectly with the character of the area.
High diversification in green spaces
Greenery in Citygate II is ever pervasive. But it is not everywhere the same. Every public space, large or small, has been designed with an individualised concept for greenery. This makes for an even greater diversification of public spaces. All the concepts were tailored to the specific space and its use. On the Expedition Mews, for instance, the greenery is limited so as not to hinder daily transactions, but on the Place de Createurs there is a beautiful group of white willows to provide shelter for people attending festivities or for those wanting to read a good book. The semi-public Place de Tous is lined by trees. The Cour de la Petite Senne is a calm green oasis, a place to escape from the hustle and bustle. And for those with green fingers, they can indulge their passion at the Jardin de Dante, a garden for residents to grown their own food. Finally, a green passage heading north connects the vegetable garden with the Parc de Goujons, just beyond the new district.
Strong and robust ecosystem
A green environment is essential for a new modern neighbourhood like Citygate II. Greenery creates beneficial microclimates, filters light and mitigates urban heat islands during high summer temperatures. With our carefully chosen collection of native plants for Citygate II, our design also strengthens the ecological climate of the area. A rich variety of species, closely entwined, allows different biotopes and sub-ecosystems to develop, which is great for any number of animals, plants and insects. Living and growing in such close proximity makes for strong and robust ecosystems. Citygate II and the nearby Parc de Goujons will have a positive influence on each other as their ecosystems will eventually interconnect and thrive.
Rainwater retained and reused
Citygate II has integrated a smart drainage system that separates rainwater from sewage and retains rainwater for reuse. It is important to give rainwater space and time. The open joints of the stone paving give it exactly that: space for the ground to absorb the surplus water. The many infiltration containers under the lush green courtyards and squares also serve to retain clean rainwater. In some spots we have made these boxes visible so that children (and adults!) can see with their own eyes what sustainability looks like.