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Makerswijk Arsenaal

A former repair yard becomes a new productive neighbourhood

The 12 ha Arsenaal site in Gentbrugge had been a repair yard owned by the railway company NMBS-SNCB since 1926. The workshop stood empty for years before the city of Ghent commissioned a concept study to revalue the site as an urban node. The proposal put forward by TRANS, RE-ST, Idea Consult and Cluster presents the site as a makers’ district, an ecosystem for businesses and neighbourhoods. The existing sheds and their heritage value are put centre stage. Flexible forms of management are considered, and the business model is calculated in function of the viability of the concept. An important aspect is the attention paid to 'white space', in which temporary programmes can be accommodated. Various cultural and civic organizations are eager to be part of this story. They will be given a place in the temporary occupation between 2022 and 2025, which will be managed by Re-Vive. The temporary users are eagerly awaiting the final master plan to be drawn up by the private developer who bought the site at auction.

partners and actors
TRANS architectuur stedenbouw, RE-ST, Idea Consult, Cluster Landscape, City of Ghent
theme
community, making industry
innovative aspects
organisational form, temporary use, local development?
scale
district




Final paper Concept study Makerswijk Arsenaal


photo: TRANS architectuur I stedenbouw, RE-ST, Idea Consult, Cluster Landscape, 2021