UNIVERSITY

The cemetery is increasingly seen and used as a park, where people come to walk, cycle and picnic. It features a large entrance portal, only a small part of which is currently used for reception and administrative staff. The receptionist told me the main entrance will be relocated to Leliestraat to make part of the cemetery car-free. Just behind the portal lies a green open space where children can play and cycle. For safety reasons, the entrance is being moved.

As a result, the portal will be left vacant. I propose a new use for it that addresses the needs of residents, creating space for social cohesion in the neighbourhood. The active social organisations already in the area point to a very engaged network, and my aim is to support it from a spatial perspective. The design focuses on the entrance portal and the driveway leading up to it, within an environment that honours and respects the various emotions present on the site.

The left side of the portal will be set up as a toy library, a library for lending toys. As previously mentioned, there are many young children in the neighborhood growing up in families with limited means. Parents often do not have enough money to buy toys for their children. By implementing this concept of lending toys, an affordable alternative can be offered. The toy library will also include an orangery, a space where children can play with the toys before taking them home.

On the right side, two seating areas are provided: one indoors and one covered outdoor space. These offer opportunities for meeting and relaxing outside the home. This was designed particularly with the Bulgarian youth in mind, who struggle to find a place at ‘vzw Jong’ due to the territorial behavior of the youth already present there. By creating this space, I aim to provide these young people with an area where they can focus on self-development. The covered seating area is connected to a room equipped for work, including computers. Self-development is extremely important for young people, and these youths do not always receive the same opportunities in our society as white Belgians. By providing them with a space here, I give them a chance to take the initiative to pursue this themselves. Both the orangery and part of the youth workspace are constructed with stained glass set in a steel frame. The glass creates a view of the surrounding park, establishing a connection with the natural environment. The structures also include entrances that provide direct access to the park.