The dilapidated state of a viaduct on the Leuven ring road prompted an exploration of ways to utilise the renovation of the infrastructure for the upgrading of the extended urban surroundings. The site is located between the historic city centre and the Arenberg Campus of the University of Leuven, and thus in the basin of the Dijle and the Voer Rivers. In the course of an intensive design process involving the city of Leuven and many Flemish public bodies, we produced a design that reconciles the urban space with the traffic flows running through it. The design is basically a three-dimensional framework of watercourses, walking and cycle paths and thoroughfares. This system of routes establishes linkages between the urban areas flanking the ring road and offers well-defined addresses and context for a new urban programme. As a result, housing, shops, a university programme and urban programmes can be developed around the new traffic intersection. This Masterplan provides the basis for removing the spatial obstacle the ring road is today.

We worked together with Carin Janninck and TML on this assignment.