The Bruges City Council has selected West 8 + Snoeck & Partners, in partnership with Atelier Roland-Jéol, as the winners of a competition to design the ‘t Zand, also known as Het Zand Square, in Bruges, Belgium.
The 8,500-square-meter historic square has remained unchanged for the past 30 years, and the Council felt that an update was duly needed. In January, five out of 20 designs were shortlisted, and on June 16, the winner was chosen at a presentation before a jury of City Council representatives and external experts.
The winning design relocates a central fountain to create more open space in the square, and realigns roads in order to connect it with the neighboring King Albert I Park.
"The plan is revolutionary in its simplicity. It harks back to the site’s original urban structure prior to the development of the Bruges ring road, with allusions to Marcus Gerards’ 1562 medieval map," said jury member and Mayor Renaat Landuyt. "Today, the former station on ‘t Zand and the Bruges ring is cut in two. Thanks to this plan, West Bruges will now be reconnected to the historic center."
Learn more about the project here.
News via West 8.
