On the banks of the Charleroi canal, in one of Anderlecht's industrial districts, the architecture office 51N4E and the Les Marneurs agency brilliantly rose to the challenge of creating a recypark that was seamlessly integrated into the urban space. The triangular plot accommodates the container park at the rear, while corner closest to the canal features a landscaped area. This includes a skate park designed by skateboarder and architect Janne Saario, with the aim of living harmoniously alongside other users within a single continuous landscape.

In terms of eco-friendliness, the project is exemplary, not only because of its role as a recycling centre, but also because of its wooden framework, recovered from a former riding school by Rotor. Its dry and wet gardens also help to manage rainwater. The gardens are criss-crossed by a "snake run", a winding skateboard track that brings to mind the water of the Senne and the idea of reuse – a concept connected with the very essence of skateboarding, which became widespread in the 1970s as people found a new use for the swimming pools left empty by drought.

The way we look at waste is changing, giving container parks a more positive connotation. Once an industrial zone, the area around the site is transitioning to a mixed-use neighbourhood providing facilities for the entire region. In response to this transition, the strategy of the project is spatially simple and socially powerful. The proposal concentrates the recycling functions on one side of the plot, thus freeing a space for public use along the canal where different types of visitors can meet. A skatepark and green zone were added to the brief to encourage people to use the space in diverse ways, facilitating the project’s integration and promoting its visibility.

The visit will focus on the Recypark itself, while also paying attention to the surrounding canal territory that frame it, allowing the project to be read in relation to the evolving industrial district and its changing uses of public space.

Architect(s) : 51N4E i.c.w. les Marneurs
Client : Net Brussel
Category (Brussels Architecture Prize) : Public space (nominated project)
Text : 51N4E