De Gentse Oude Dokken

The appearance of the Oude Dokken (Old Docks) in Ghent has gradually been changing since 2018. Life goes on at its usual pace in Dok Noord. At Schipperskaai alongside the houseboats there is now a pleasant walk. Several bridges will also connect the future quarter along Schipperskaai with the city centre. Eventually, Sogent will have transformed no less than 5 km of quayside into a residential and recreational area. Meanwhile, various temporary initiatives have become a permanent feature with Dok, Bar Bricolage, 019 and Grindbakken all being success stories. The city temporarily allocated them with a plot of land to enable them to develop their creative vision. Sogent is using these temporary initiatives as a laboratory for future developments. In the end the master plan by OMA, a competition laureate, was not implemented, but the autonomous municipal company is retaining the essence of the master plan. Its basic framework is geared to the requirements of the local housing culture. The urban planning framework incorporates a car-free district with an attractive link to the inner city. Participants are given the opportunity to develop their individual design within this spatial plan. The urban development framework also incorporates different scales, including the interior.

This project was opened on the occasion of the 2019 Day of Architecture. The text is based on a contribution by Lisbeth Decloedt and Selin Geerinckx.