Among Brussels’ nineteen municipalities, on the banks of the canal bruxelles charleroi. The following
proposal sits in the cities industrial district on an urban knot between ‘Molenbeek’, ‘Anderlecht’ and ‘The
city of Brussels’ – otherwise known as the administrative centre of the European Union.
Using this opportunistic placement the proposal aims to tie the knot from one district to the other –
infiltrating the current physical & economic divisions and social presumptions to create a stronger social
unity and identity, city wide.
Geographically the city comprises of compact blocks, consisting of five metre plot sizes, which allows for
only a minor quantity of green spaces to be intertwined. This project recognises from this urban makeup
that there is room for improved efforts towards increasing local biodiversity as well as providing more
opportunity for social interaction between municipalities, Creating a stronger sense of community
throughout these neighbouring districts.
This thesis development has been led by iterated drawing methodology, programmatic drivers and with
an engagement into personal architectural interests in phenomenological design and organic design. It
presents an architectural response to a plethora of urban & social problems and research topics. Taking
the form of a masterplan proposal that focuses on always relating back to the power of water, utilising
the canal to create an organic social experience that unites the industrial past of Brussels with its
modernising identity and culture.