Het Noordstrand

For the North Beach project in Brussels North, POOL IS COOL converted a fountain in the middle of a huge roundabout into a swimming pool. The action transformed the core of Brussels’ business district – which is usually a non-place – into a lived space for a single day. During the intervention, children splashed in the water while their parents enjoyed outdoor drinks in a street that was closed to cars, and passers-by stopped to learn more about the project. Beyond this innovative call for a swimming culture in Brussels, the project also made Lab North’s design research, which is focused on the transformation of the district into a lively and inclusive area of the capital, come true – for the duration of one day.

This text is based on the essay of Petra Pferdmenges, which has been published in the Flanders Architectural Review N°14. When Attitudes Take Form