Stadsontwerp Hessenberg

The Urban Design Hessenberg by AWG & BIQ architects illustrates the extreme opposites that exist in terms of the public space and building patterns. The building regeneration project is located in the urban environment of Nijmegen, where the architect controls public space, its fragmented allotment and the limits between the two. The Hessenberg project is an example of urban revitalisation in which public space is totally consistent with private building. The volumes are designed so as to create a collection of streets, courts and small squares. The fragmentation of private allotments is no longer visible; they disappear to the benefit of an ensemble of masses and voids. Furthermore, from a functional point of view, the ground floors of the buildings have high enough ceilings to potentially house commercial activities, thereby making the public space more dynamic.

This text is based on an article by Aglaée Degros, published in Architecture Review Flanders N°10. Radical Commonplaces. European Architectures from Flanders.