PLACE MARIE JANSON/MARIE JANSONPLEIN
StudioPaolaViganò + vvv architecture urbanisme

StudioPaolaViganò and vvv architecture urbanisme were commissioned to redevelop Place Marie Janson/Marie Jansonplein as part of the Parvis/Voorplein-Morichar sustainable neighbourhood contract in Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis. They soon came up with the idea of connecting the building fronts, Parvis de Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillisvoorplein and the interior of the square by creating a sloping surface allowing water to run off and collect in large linear swales, installing a green canopy and enabling a variety of free uses to promote inclusion of local people as a counterbalance to the commercial focus of Parvis de Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillisvoorplein. With its play areas, sports facilities, picnic areas, and spaces to relax and mingle, the square has been transformed into a green urban park. The project also allowed the redevelopment and pedestrianisation of two adjacent streets, Rue de Moscou/Moskoustraat and Rue Jourdan/Jourdanstraat.

PIERRE PAULUS PARK
Ledroit Pierret Polet Architectes + Pigeon Ochej Paysage

Also part of the Parvis/Voorplein-Morichar sustainable neighbourhood contract in Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis, Pierre Paulus Park was originally two separate gardens, one belonging to Pelgrims House and the other to a convent. The English garden at Pelgrims House resembled a theatrical stage set, with imitation rockeries, fountains and water features. The convent garden was dramatically opened up by the construction of the metro and transformed into a large lawn partially connected to the École Nouvelle, a school built on the site of the convent. Ledroit Pierret Polet Architectes and Pigeon Ochej Paysage have reconnected all the pieces of the jigsaw with the school, the senior citizens' centre and the boules pitch to create a genuine urban park for recreation, relaxation and contemplation.
With the renovation of the boules pitch, the creation of new play areas and the redevelopment of the pond, the project fosters social cohesion by bringing together a wide range of activities and generations. In addition, renovation work on the Pelgrims House garden, listed in 1997, has been carried out with the greatest respect for its original character.