Oude vismijn and Groentenmarkt, Lokeren
Reviving squares and connecting them
Romp between swaying grasses and colorful flowers on the course of stepping stones. Just kicking in some water that collected in one of the wadis. Parents and grandparents who watch amused on the bench past all that life. A little further on, people enjoy a good glass and each other’s company and people walk home with groceries in hand.
The Groentenmarkt and Oude Vismijn are reviving after the renovation operation that Evolta designed and supervised for the City of Lokeren.
The two renovated squares form a link within the urban fabric by bringing structure and making room for experience, soft road use and greenery. The interventions not only increase the quality of life and accommodation, but also strongly stimulate the local economy and biodiversity.
Beauty and functionality go hand in hand by integrating the necessary roads, bicycle sheds and parking zones into the design and choice of materials.
The paving of the Old Fish Market forms a playful element and was selected to reinforce the residential character. In the Groentenmarkt, we continue the typology of the Market, but the walkers in flat cobblestones connect all the central squares and form the logical walking lines. At the same time, it offers accessible circulation for people with reduced mobility.
A strong blue-green concept with maximum rainwater collection and infiltration, maximum greening and a new separate sewer system – invisible from the ground floor but still crucial – strengthens the sustainable story and makes this place more resilient, now and in the future.
We also considered water permeability and local water infiltration when choosing materials for pavements and paths. The primary paths consist of concrete paving stones for good accessibility for walkers and cyclists. The parking zone at the entrance zone was laid out with linear grass concrete tiles. And for the other paths – the secondary circulation – we used concrete grass grids.
