Vooruit.brussels finds it incomprehensible and unacceptable that the federal government has left the former Vorst prison vacant for three years and allowed it to visibly deteriorate. This is happening while Brussels is facing a housing shortage, a lack of spaces for sports clubs and youth movements, and while artists and musicians are finding it increasingly difficult to find affordable workspaces and rehearsal rooms.
Last weekend, the local branch of Vooruit.brussels visited the former prison site, thanks to the association 9m2. Those present noted that the state of the building is deteriorating rapidly.
Vooruit.brussels calls on federal minister Vanessa Matz and the Buildings Agency to take responsibility and, together with the Brussels-Capital Region, to start with temporary site access as soon as possible.
Urgent need for action
But a concrete future plan remains absent, and the vacancy fuels fears of urban decay.
Vooruit.brussels proposes to with limited interventions quickly and relatively cheaply to create temporary functions such as:
- spaces for Sport, relaxation and neighbourhood activities
- workshops for Brussels-based makers, artists and musicians
- first steps towards a future City park, e.g. by planting trees now
Temporary use can be supervised by Brussels-based experts and organisations with extensive experience, such as perspective.brussels, urban.brussels, the Brussels Chief Architect and associations active in temporary use, such as Toestand and Communa.
“A site crying out for a new lease of life”
Hilde Peeters and Willem Stevens, from Vooruit.brussels, know the neighbourhood well and see its enormous potential.
“If we want to strengthen Brussels as an international city of the arts, we must not only invest in presentation venues but also in high-quality and affordable workspaces for creators. This need is greater today than ever before. In the former prison sites, hundreds of square metres are currently unused, including a theatre. There is a huge opportunity waiting to be seized to give the Brussels creative scene a significant boost.”
Hilde Peeters (Vooruit.brussels)
“The prison site offers a unique opportunity to create a new city district in a densely populated part of Brussels, respecting heritage while incorporating functions that meet the needs of the neighbourhood. Both domestic and international examples show that such a transformation is perfectly possible. We must start the temporary use now.”
Willem Stevens (Vooruit.brussels)
From a closed-off site to an open urban district: a first step
Vooruit.brussels sees the prison site of Vorst and Sint-Gillis (the latter prison will also be disused in the future) as an exceptional opportunity to create a new, open, vibrant, and creative city district there in the future. A place to live, learn, do business, exercise, relax, and experience culture.
By giving temporary functions to buildings that are already vacant, a first important step can be taken.
Indicative visualisation of the Saint-Gilles prison by Vooruit.brussels