Stadsterras Oude God Mortsel

META architecture office and MikeViktorViktor architects have designed 5 building clusters around a green, traffic-calmed square. These include residential properties, a centre for adult education, commercial spaces and an underground car park. The Oude God Mortsel project is located in the interior area between the new Stadspark, the Mechelsesteenweg and the Edegemsestraat.

This green square – the Stadsterras (city terrace) of Mortsel – will connect the centrally located Gemeenteplein (town square) with the new Oude God city park. The construction of this new urban park provided the impetus for converting several remaining plots in the heart of Mortsel into a qualitative core in-fill project that will enrich the city. META and MikeViktorViktor have designed this development of approximately 22,000 m² with a 245-space underground car park.

The Sint-Lutgardis school, which was bombed by the Allies in 1943, today houses the LBC-NVK Centre for Adult Education (CVO). The school is part of the historical heritage of the city of Mortsel, a tangible reminder of the drama of the bombardment. The design team have opted to preserve the entire building, which will be converted into a residential project with a green courtyard garden.

The main building on the Mechelsesteenweg will acquire a low-threshold, commercial function on the ground floor. In the back section, classrooms will be converted into residential units. For the design team, the preservation of the existing patrimony was a given. They were not only inspired by its historical significance but also by the concept of sustainability, which dictates that the existing patrimony should not be unnecessarily replaced.

The Centre for Adult Education will vacate the historic property and be given a new building that meets all the requirements of a school environment in the 21st century. Architectural quality, a clear structure and a focus on sustainability are paramount.

Along the connection to the Mechelsesteenweg, in addition to the new school building, there will also be a residential programme with commercial and tertiary functions on the ground floor, such as, for example, a nursery, a doctor’s office and spaces for other liberal professions. The connection from the Edegemsestraat also includes a residential programme with social housing on one side and, on the other, a commercial ground floor surmounted by a residential development. A new neighbourhood supermarket with an underground car park will occupy a central position on the square. There is also a focus on collective initiatives and facilities throughout the area.

Landinzicht and Quadrant have design a traffic-free and above all green public space – one that shapes the transition from park, crosses the adjoining gardens and abuts the Mechelsesteenweg and Edegemsestraat – in a sound and well-considered manner.

The public domain will be enhanced through the integration of art by the internationally renowned artist Dirk Braeckman. Amongst his many notable achievements, Braeckman represented Belgium at the Venice Biennale in 2017.