From a Wall to an Emergent Patchwork
The Transformation of an Industrial site in Heyvaert...
M.P. Hengsteler (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
S. Stalker – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
E.P.N. Schreurs – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
In the Brussels neighbourhood of Heyvaert stands a wall, a stoic structure closed off from its surroundings shaped by vibrant street life, trade, and cultural diversity. It is part of a building that has quietly endured many changes. This project engages with the structure’s critical transformation, recognising that to open it up is to expose the building to the social, spatial, and economic forces that shape the neighbourhood.
As the neighbourhood faces change through the disappearance of the car trade, its streetscape, informal economies, and existing ways of living will be fundamentally altered. Based on the “Drivers of Change” research, the project understands these transformations not as isolated events, but as part of an ongoing urban evolution shaping the future of Heyvaert. This proposal responds to these shifts by offering stability and support. Seen as another chapter in the development of Heyvaert, the building adds to the emergent patchwork that makes up this complex urban situation.
The building is vertically extended, adding openings within the old walls, and a new structural logic that builds upon the existing. Three stepped-back housing volumes are positioned above a productive and educational plinth, creating a softer transition towards the surrounding streetscape and the adjacent linear park. The project seeks to make ongoing change less disruptive and support the local residents most affected by it, through introducing spaces and shared areas tailored to the needs of the existing community. Through its facade composition, material choices, and integration of collective spaces, the project aims to remain socially anchored within the neighbourhood.
In contrast to profit-driven redevelopment, the proposal explores an alternative approach rooted in the needs of residents, everyday urban life, and the careful transformation of what is already there — positioning the architecture not in a way that is imposing towards its surroundings but carefully balanced within the existing urban fabric.