A second life for the Cinquantenaire site

The Cinquantenaire site, and more specifically the sequence of public spaces between the Schuman and Mérode metro stations, is the subject of the Europan 17 "A second life" competition.

"Europan 17" is an architectural competition organised as part of the New European Bauhaus initiative, open to professionals and students (Masters) in architecture, landscape and urban planning, aged under 40. 51 European sites have been selected this year, including the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels.

The Brussels competition site is the Parc du Cinquantenaire. The aim of the competition will be to redesign this 34-hectare site in the centre of Brussels, home to several museums, scientific institutions and iconic buildings.

The challenge is to regenerate and support the spaces in need of transformation, taking a fresh look at what already exists and the hidden treasures already on site. A new appreciation of all resources: natural, heritage, energy, flows, economic, social... It's a question of reconsidering the uses and new similarities linking ecological and social dynamics. How can we be attentive and welcoming to the differences and vulnerabilities that nurture inhabited environments in the face of climate change?

The competition is organised by EUROPAN Belgium in coordination with the Horizon 50-200 non-profit organisation. Other organisations involved are the European Commission (Office for Infrastructure and Logistics in Brussels and the New European Bauhaus) and the Brussels-Capital Region.

In addition, a technical feasibility study will soon be launched by the non-profit organisation Horizon 50-200, responsible for establishing the site's vision for Belgium's bicentenary. The results will be announced in December 2023.

 More information on the Europan 17 competition: https://cinquantenaire.brussels/en/program/europan

Projects entered in the competition must be submitted by 30 July 2023.