What is it about?
The project to redevelop the Marché au Bois and Rue Baron Horta sites, covering an area of 11,500m², illustrates the strategy of the City's Upper-Lower Masterplan adopted in 2023. The plan aims to strengthen pedestrian links between the upper and lower parts of the city, experiment with new uses adapted to the steep gradient of the area, and create an urban ecosystem that is resilient in the face of climate change.
Located in the heart of the city centre, this project responds to the need to create a comfortable and continuous pedestrian route, despite the height differences and complex road network. It plays a key role in connecting strategic areas such as the Porte de Namur, Place Royale and Mont des Arts, making it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to get around.
The recreational areas of Marché au Bois and Rue Baron Horta, characterised by their steep slopes, will be designed with terraces to diversify uses. This redevelopment will take into account the slope, surrounding building constraints and integration into the historic context. The project explores the possibilities for redeveloping the sloping space on the city centre's hillsides, integrating nature into the urban environment to create a robust ecosystem adapted to climatic variations.
The works will begin after the renovation of the Gare Centrale metro station by the STIB:
External siteCentral Station (STIB)
What purpose?
This project meets the following ambitions and objectives:
- To develop the green network as a support for active transport methods and biodiversity
- To rebalance and diversify the uses of public spaces
- To develop a strategy to reduce soil sealing in the City of Brussels and make its public spaces greener
- To ensure the coherent development of public spaces to highlight their heritage quality
- To incorporate inclusiveness criteria into public spaces from the design stage
