SHSH

We started out by asking ourselves two questions : First, how could we design a new square that would take into account the heterogeneity and social diversity that is the Flagey square? Second, how could we put together a plan to allow the participation of the groups and associations already concerned about the future of the square but also to include those whose voices were not heard?

We think it has become necessary to envisage a town with virtually no preconceived ideas, where the public spaces are capable of inspiring surprises, and favour a scattered, crossover of multiple usage.

We therefore considered the following requirements :
- Think about hybridity rather than uniformity and separations between one activity or another (pedestrians, drivers, cyclists, public transport), one particular public or another (the old/the young, unfit/fit, groups/individuals) or one moment or another.
- Conceive a propositional space that will offer an attractive environment, allow a constant appropriation of the square by the potential users.
- Fight against what the town is becoming today : a security-conscious town, a shopping town.

Our challenge is to carry out a collective experiment enhanced by the opinion of artists, neighbourhood residents, anthropologists, sociologists and philosophers to have a complex way of thinking and conceiving the town.

“This is not science or utopia but a question of choice : we can maintain the ideal of a homogenous town, clearly understandable from the outside, complicated but functional, or risk creating a town that is muddled, conflicting, uncertain, full of never-ending discussions, negotiations and therefore relatively opaque from the outside.” (L.Stengers)

Status : Competition

Client : Brussels City

Place : Brussels, Be

Architecture : Shin Bogdan Hagiwara, Thierry Decuypere, Jorn Aram Bihain (V+)

Think Tank : Olivier Crabbé (neighbourhood resident), Didier Debaise (philosopher - Max Planck Institut, Berlin), Didier Gille (sociologist), David Jamar (anthropologist - Centre de Recherche Urbaine, ULB), Anne Querrien (sociologist and urbanist in Departement of public works (France)), Fabrizio Terranova (artist and local resident), Graziella Vella (anthropologist and local resident), Benedikte Zitouni (sociologist - Cosmopolis, VUB)

Consultants : Atelier voor Ruimtelijk Advies, Bureau Bouwtechniek, BAS