Experience

ANTWERP | Final design for Spoorpark between Zurenborg and Borgerhout approved

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The Council of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Antwerp approved the final design of the Spoorpark or Rail Park between the Antwerp neighbourhood of Zurenborg and the district of Borgerhout. 

The City of Antwerp is developing this park on and parallel to the elevated railway, it extends over the zone between the Draakplaats (district of Antwerp) and the Luitenant Naeyaertplein (Borgerhout). There is also an agreement with Infrabel on the use of their land, which will be submitted to the municipal council for approval. If everything goes smoothly, the works can start after the summer of 2025.

The future Spoorpark will be partly on the ground floor and partly at height, including on the railway bridge over the Plantin en Moretuslei. At the moment, most of the project area is still in use by Infrabel for rail activities and is therefore not accessible.

The Spoorpark will be 2 hectares in size and has the ambition to connect Zurenborg and Borgerhout in a green way. The park will include a walking and cycling path at neighbourhood level. The park will have a unique character due to the adjacent railway, by preserving authentic railway objects such as the train tracks and the platform canopy, and by the special views of the city.

Alderman for Urban Development Annick De Ridder (N-VA): “Today, the future Spoorpark is largely used for railway activities and is therefore not yet a public space. That will change drastically, and the Spoorpark will thus become an excellent example of the ‘greening’ that we have been pursuing with spatial planning throughout this legislature. We are creating a truly unique park here that will be located both on the ground floor and at height. Now that we have reached an agreement with Infrabel, we can speed up this beautiful project that fits in nicely with the largest urban development project that this city will ever have known, Ringstad.”

Subzone 1: Slope at Draakplaats

The design of the Omheining der Statie van Borgerhout or Fence of the Station of Borgerhout remained largely unchanged compared to the preliminary design. 

The existing cobblestone slope will be given a comfort strip in sawn cobblestones. The tram tracks in the slope will be retained, but will be filled in to limit the risk of falling. A green border with climbing plants will be placed against the tram shed and there will be green tree areas. Seating areas will be provided along the path, and in the evening the path and the railway arches will be additionally illuminated with ground spots.

As for the tram shed at Draakplaats: now that an agreement for the Spoorpark has been reached with Belgium‘s national rail infrastructure manager Infrabel and the final design has been approved, municipal real estate agency AG Vespa has stopped the call for a temporary use of that tram shed. AG Vespa is now reviewing which possible final use this location can be given, communication about this will follow.

Subzone 2: Belly of the park

The design of the ‘belly’ of the park, the largest and widest zone with lots of greenery, also remained largely unchanged. The planting plan in particular was further refined. This part is all about meeting and staying. The iconic railway objects will be preserved.

A square will be constructed around the Brosselloods. Seating areas and planting areas that provide shade will be provided on the sunny side of the square. People can picnic or play sports on the lawn next to the shed.

A concrete main path runs through the park on one side of the shed. On the other side, a narrower semi-hardened path will be constructed for a more informal route through the greenery.

The green buffer behind the gardens of the Tweelingenstraat will be preserved and will be screened off with a fence.

Subzone 3: Bridge over Plantin en Moretuslei

The biggest change compared to the preliminary design was made in this zone, which is mainly seen as a passage area and connects the belly of the park with the Luitenant Naeyaertplein. 

At the platform zone, the project boundary was adjusted due to works being carried out on the tracks. As a result, only platform 1 can be retained, and platform 2 will be cancelled. The sunken zone, the former railway bed, between platform 1 and the new fence next to the railway that will remain in use, will be designed as a sunken garden with plants and ballast stones.

A restoration file was started for the historic platform canopy on platform 1.

Subzone 4: Square at former East Station

The preliminary design for this zone was also revised. There will be a compact car park with one entrance and exit to the Plantin en Moretuslei with 15 parking spaces, which is 6 more than the preliminary design. 

The zone in front of the former Antwerp-East Railway Station will be depaved and greened as much as possible. The future tree on the square will be central to the green zone, surrounded by plants and a wadi in which rainwater can infiltrate. A second future tree will also be added.

Subzone 5: Fonteinstraat between Plantin Moretus swimming pool and Luitenant Naeyaertplein

A slope will be constructed at the Plantin Moretus Swimming Pool, providing access to the park. The design of the slope and the bicycle shed with canopy have been refined, but the design will remain largely unchanged. Part of the slope will be floating to protect the root zones of existing trees as much as possible. The ten parking spaces on the side of the swimming pool will disappear. 

There will be open views between the railway embankment and the ground level and between the Plantin en Moretuslei and the entrance to the swimming pool.

On the side of the Luitenant Naeyaertplein, a lush green passage announces the Spoorpark. This will be a safe and pleasant walking and cycling connection, in which play and seating elements will also be incorporated.

“In the Spoorpark, we are creating a completely new cycling connection between Zurenborg and Borgerhout, comfortable and safe. Cyclists will be able to cross the Plantin en Moretuslei without conflict”,  Alderman for Mobility Koen Kennis (N-VA) says. 

Agreement with Infrabel

In order to realise the Spoorpark between the Draakplaats and the Luitenant Naeyaertplein, land and associated buildings and structures of Infrabel must be put into use. The city has reached an agreement with Infrabel for this, which will still be submitted to the municipal council for approval.

Participation

A lot of attention was paid to participation by the neighbourhood in the design process. For example, four online surveys have been conducted since September 2020, and several walks around the site with the design team have been organised, as well as information sessions and focus discussions. Based on all this input, the design has been further refined.

Timing

The permit application and the tender file will be prepared this autumn. If everything goes smoothly and Infrabel has left the site at the beginning of 2025, the tender procedure will be started at the beginning of 2025, and the implementation can start after the summer of 2025.

More information

AG Vespa, the autonomous municipal company for real estate and urban projects in Antwerp, is coordinating the Spoorpark, with Infrabel and the Roads and Traffic Agency of Flanders as important partners. 

The design team is Stramien architectuur & ruimte cv in collaboration with RE-ST. The project is co-facilitated by the Flemish Urban Renewal Fund.

More information about the Spoorpark can be found at https://www.agvespa.be/projecten/spoorpark#over.

Ringstad

The Spoorpark is one of the six guiding principles that form the basis of the Ringstad vision. Ringstad is an ambitious urban renewal programme along the Ring. 

New, lively urban areas are being created on the edges of the seven Ring Parks, which will provide the connection between the existing neighbourhoods and the new parks. 

The Spoorpark is a continuous, elongated public space from Park Spoor Noord to the Draakplaats and provides extra greenery in densely populated neighbourhoods and for safe and smooth cycling and walking connections. This is the link between the Luitenant Naeyaertplein and the Draakplaats.

On the look of Antwerp