In 2012, BUUR in cooperation with ARA, won the design competition for the landscape park ‘Fort Liezele’ in Puurs organized within the context of an ‘Open Oproep’.
The very high level of ambition required a wide frame to realize this particular project. The masterplan that has been elaborated for the entire area constitutes the new context or spatial support. It provides a complete vision of the landscape development of the village. For this reason, it must be considered as an all-inclusive project, covering all issues, from a future landscape vision to the development of the public domain at both concept and detail level.
This masterplan searches for the essence of the landscape which is more than a no man’s land: it claims its own characteristic features that will offer the landscape park ‘Fort Liezele’ a particular setting. The back bone of this setting consists of three elements, namely ‘openness’, ‘symbolic value’ and ‘leisure’ which stems from the historic layers of the landscape. The farmer ploughed his fields, and created an agrarian landscape. The soldier built a bastion against his enemies and created a reinforced landscape. The city man created prosperity and time and used the open space to create a recreational landscape dedicated to leisure.
The structure of the landscape park becomes the functional support, i.e. the major line along which the spatial setting will be shaped and the imagination will take place. As such, it will become the most constant factor of the landscape park. This context will determine the activities whose definitions will change over time. These park structures ensure that every future change, transformation and renovation will always be successful.
Based on the competition design a detailed masterplan and zoning plan has been drafted. At this moment the execution phase is under preparation.
