Park Fort Liezele | Antwerp Belgium | BUUR

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Park Cemetery
A cemetery has been incorporated into the landscape.
A cemetery essentially is the culmination of a long journey. It is a space that creates a context for reflection and intimacy. While the cemetery depicts the nature of death, burial and commemoration – to set the cemetery comfortably into its context, a clear spatial intervention is needed, involving a new identity.

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The new park is located on a site with rough terrain. Therefore the challenge has been to set the cemetery within the landscape.
The landscape offers the visitor a panorama that evolves over consecutive seasons, allowing time and space to change with the grieving process. The cemetery is nestled into the landscape such that the two are reinforcing one another to create a serene and reflective environment.

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Park Fort Liezele | Antwerp, Belgium

Designer | TEAM BUUR + ARA

Year | 2012
Area 2,4 ha

Client |  Municipality of PUURS
Image & Text Credit | BUUR

About Damian Holmes 3387 Articles
Damian Holmes is the Founder and Editor of World Landscape Architecture (WLA). He is a registered landscape architect (AILA) working in international design practice in Australia. Damian founded WLA in 2007 to provide a website for landscape architects written by landscape architects. Connect on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianholmes/