ANTWERP | Zuidpark now officially open

As the works for the construction of the third and final part of the Zuidpark or South Park on the Gedempte Zuiderdokken (Filled Up Southern Docks) in Antwerp are as good as finished, the City of Antwerp and municipal real estate agency AG Vespa opened the park officially with an opening party on Friday 17 May 2024.

The third and last part of the Zuidpark is located between Scheldestraat and Wapenstraat, above the former Kooldok. The city and AG Vespa constructed no fewer than three new playgrounds, a play fountain on Museumplein, and a dog walking zone. In addition, at the end of the park there is now a restored former Scheldt Quays hangar: it serves as a pergola, with room for an outdoor classroom.

Seven hectares

This means that the entire seven-hectare park is as good as ready. In the coming weeks, the contractor will do the final finishing touches to the playgrounds and the play fountain, and will install additional seating furniture. The new grass mats also need some time to bond. Due to the heavy rain in recent months, a lot of surface water remained on the central lawn and in certain zones for too long. This will also be further investigated and monitored in the near future.

Anderman for Urban Development and chairperson of AG Vespa Annick De Ridder (N-VA): “In 1969, the Zuiderdokken were closed and a gigantic stone square was built. 55 years later we open a completely new park of 7 hectares here in the heart of the city. With 450 new trees, 110,000 new plants, large lawns, rainwater buffers and a 1.5 million cubic meter rainwater well, Zuidpark is the perfect example of the greening and blueing that we strive for with every urban development project. It also includes several playgrounds, community gardens and a sports field , an outdoor classroom, dog walking zone and three squares with space for events, Antwerp has gained a Central Park in the heart of the city!”

History: from parking lot to versatile park

For centuries, an impressive citadel stood on the site of the Zuidpark, which protected Antwerp against enemy attacks: the Zuidkasteel, the Southern Castle.

In 1874 the decision was made to demolish the citadel. This created space for an expansion of the city southwards: the Het Zuid, The South, neighbourhood.

At the end of the 19th century, three docks were dug as an extension of the then port. But over the course of the 20th century, the port’s activities mainly moved to the north.

In 1969, the Zuiderdokken were filled in and a square was created. At both ends of these Gedempte Zuiderdokken there was room for sports and games, but most of the square was used as a gigantic parking lot, and sometimes for events.

In 2015, the city decided that something new had to be done with the Gedempte Zuiderdokken. The city started an extensive participation process and organized a competition for a design with two major functions: a park and two underground car parks.

The Belgian-Swiss team Tractebel, ADR Architects, Georges Descombes in collaboration with Les Eclaristes Associés and Erik De Waele won the competition.

Design

Their design mainly contains a lot of greenery, with 450 new trees and 110,000 new plants in addition to the 123 existing trees.

Water is also an important element in the new park. For example, a collective rainwater well of 1.5 million cubic meters under the Waterpoortplein, a rainwater buffer for seven million liters of rainwater under the central grass meadow, two water gardens of 750 m² each and infiltration pipes ensure smart use of water.

In addition to water and lots of greenery, there is also plenty of room for sports, games and meetings in the park: with five playgrounds, two communal gardens of 270 m², quiet areas, a sports field, an outdoor classroom under the pergola, and three squares with space for events:

The Waterpoortplein connects the Het Zuid district with the Scheldt, with the Waterpoort as the center. The scale of this square can be compared to the Grote Markt. It is the most suitable place for organizing medium-sized events.

The Museumplein, comparable in scale to the Sint-Jansvliet on the pedestrian tunnel, connects the various museums and has a play fountain as a defining element. Various arts festivals can take place here.

The Scheldeplein is the northernmost square and is the smallest of the three, comparable to the Vrijdagmarkt. It is marked by a spacious pergola that partly provides shelter. The square connects to the gardens of the former Kooldok and is ideal for community events.