On the southern side of the island lies a parcel between the Van Gendthallen, the INIT building and the Oostenburgervaart that is set to accommodate 44,000 m2 of residential and commercial space. The site used to be occupied by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), who maintained a wharf here, and later by Stork-Werkspoor, for its factory. The new design retains the area’s industrial character as well as the sense of security one typically gets from being on an island, while providing roughly 450 new homes and interesting spaces for entrepreneurs, all of which will share the collective neighbourhood name: “Stadswerf Oostenburg”. The area’s public space is to be designed by urban design office Urhahn in collaboration with landscape architects Dijk & co. The client is Stadswerf Oostenburg Ontwikkeling, a joint venture between VORM and Steenwell. And Kristiaan Borret, university professor and chief architect of the Brussels-Capital Region, has been employed by the municipality as the project’s supervisor and urban planner.
Vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood
The design offers a variety of living spaces and a healthy mix of owner-occupied, social housing, mid-market and private sector rental accommodation, guaranteeing Stadswerf Oostenburg’s desirability to people and families at all stages of life. The neighbourhood will also help to address the high demand for accommodation in the city. To this end it will offer roughly 277 sustainable rental apartments, of which 130 will be accounted for by social housing, 29 by mid-market rentals, and 118 by private sector rentals. The remainder will be owner-occupied. The design includes approximately 3,000 m2of space for offices, shops, businesses and in-home ateliers. Both ends of the Oostenburgermiddenstraat will be occupied by restaurants with terraces. A new pedestrian and cycle bridge will be built across the Oostenburgervaart, providing access to the Czaar Peterstraat.
