Quartier ConneXion 

Prisons of Vorst and Saint-Gilles: from a closed-off site to an open urban district that brings people together

The prisons of Saint-Gilles and Forest are today two enclosed ‘districts’ of 6.5 hectares (more than 10 football pitches) in the centre of our city. Vooruit.brussels wants to transform this into a new, open urban district. A place where Brussels residents come together to create and relax, and in the future, also to live and study.

The Vorst prison is already empty today, and the Sint-Gillis prison will also be emptied soon. For Vooruit.brussels, there is therefore no time to lose. The site must be given new functions as soon as possible.

By literally breaking open the closed sites on both sides of the Rue de la Connection, we are creating a new neighbourhood that will actually connect people. Welcome to Quartier ConneXion.

In the short term

Standing still means going backwards. For Vooruit.brussels, the Forest prison, already empty today, needs new, temporary uses as soon as possible.

And once the last prisoners have left the Saint-Gilles prison, this site must also be opened up to the neighbourhood as quickly as possible.

Vooruit.brussels wants to use the enormous potential of the sites to turn them into a vibrant, creative, active, and green part of the city that brings people together. And that way, we also avoid the buildings remaining empty for a long time, which could result in an urban cancer.

By focusing on temporary use, we are quickly creating space for relaxation and exercise, providing opportunities for the many Brussels artists who are currently struggling to find studio space, and laying the foundation for a new city park.

This way, we will also discover what is needed and what works in this strategic location, and we can thoroughly prepare the long-term strategy for this new city district.

1. CREATIVITY

Brussels is one of the world's leading artistic hotspots, and we are justifiably proud of that. Saint-Gilles and Forest have historically, and continue to this day, to have a great appeal to artists.

Brussels has no shortage of presentation spaces, but there is a growing need for creation spaces. Available spaces are becoming scarcer and more expensive. Artists are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable studio space, and their financial means are limited.

The typology of the prison is ideal for setting up artists' studios. Musicians and bands can use it for rehearsals in the rehearsal rooms, and the large theatre hall of the Forest prison will be given a new lease of life as a concert venue.

The site is also ideally suited to become an absolute street art hotspot. In certain parts of the buildings, street artists can unleash their creativity to their heart's content.

Vooruit.brussels also sees Quartier ConneXion as the ideal location to showcase artistic work to the general public and to organise performances and exhibitions.

We are also providing an open-air theatre for outdoor performances, film screenings and concerts.

“If we want to continue building Brussels as an international city for the arts, we must not only focus on presentation venues, but also on high-quality and affordable workspaces for the city's creators. This need is greater today than ever before!” Hilde Peeters (Vooruit.brussels)

2. Sport

Sport brings people together. Vooruit.brussels wants to make Quartier ConneXion a hotspot for sporty Bruxellois. A place where young and old can let off steam. We are providing numerous indoor and outdoor sporting opportunities.

Quartier ConneXion transforms the prisons into a sports paradise for dancing, skating, climbing, basketball, (beach) volleyball, jogging ... and there are plenty of walls to bash against.

3. PARCK X

‘Quartier ConneXion’ will be a new beating heart for St-Gilles and Forest for Voor Vooruit.brussels. A connecting place where people can meet, relax, and enjoy.

The large open spaces surrounding the prison buildings will be transformed into a large park, PARCK X, connecting the surrounding neighbourhoods.

PARCK X will become a communal garden for the people of Brussels.

In PARCK X we plant lots of trees and plants, which will literally and figuratively give oxygen to the city. There will be plenty of opportunities to play and relax. The sports infrastructure and the open-air theatre mentioned above will be nicely integrated into the park.

The showstopper of PARCK X will be the new urban farm with a pond. A place where Brussels residents, who usually don't have their own garden, can get hands-on. The urban farm will provide space for pick-your-own gardens and contemporary allotment gardens for growing fruit and vegetables.

In the new city farm, sheep graze and chickens roam. And one of the circular outdoor areas we are transforming into a wildlife pond where fauna and flora can run wild. The farm's operation is carried out in collaboration with the inmates of the new Berkendael detention centre.

By opening up the two existing gardens of the former director's houses, they will form the link between the new urban district and Ducpétiaux Avenue.

Residents and visitors will be able to park in the prison staff car park, allowing us to make Antoine Delporte Square a real forecourt of Quartier ConneXion.

On the other side too, we are literally opening up the prison walls. This will create a new urban square in the middle of the Verbindingslaan, the Verbindingsplein, Place Connexion.

4. Generation Z in Quarter X

For Vooruit.brussels, ‘Quartier ConneXion’ will be a place where young Brussels residents can develop. The site is not only an excellent play and sports area, but it can also become a home for young people and youth movements from the neighbourhood, so they finally have their own premises and a new youth centre.

‘Quartier ConneXion’ will also be the place to be for young entrepreneurs. Many young Brussels residents have brilliant ideas, but they often lack the encouragement and space to realise them. Vooruit.brussels wants to make ‘Quartier ConneXion’ a place where young people can actually make those ideas a reality.

Have you long dreamt of your own photo studio, tech startup, coffee roastery, catering business, etc.? In ‘Quartier ConneXion’, you can make that dream come true.

In longer term

‘We don't just see ’Quartier ConneXion' as a temporary use of this site full of potential; we also see it as a test to see how we can transform this zone into a new, sustainable urban district in the longer term.

An outcome that will take shape over time and in conjunction with the neighbourhood.

Together with the four ‘temporary’ functions explained above, Vooruit.brussels is primarily focusing on housing, relaxation, and education for the definitive redevelopment of the prison sites. Furthermore, Vooruit.brussels believes that the reintegration of detainees serving short sentences (a maximum of 3 years) must also be taken into account in the site's future development. Detainees housed in the Berkendael detention centre can be actively involved in activities on the site (such as the farm, adult education, artistic projects, sports activities, etc.). In addition, we also want to explore the possibility of creating a new detention centre (for a maximum of 50 people) on the site.

A new residential district for people who keep our city going

Vooruit.brussels aims to provide various housing types for a diverse and mixed public during the final transformation of the prisons. We are particularly focusing on ‘Key Workers’ housing. This is inspired by a London concept where affordable housing is first offered to people who hold essential jobs in our city, such as nurses, healthcare staff, childcare workers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, etc.

A district that encourages young people to learn more

For Vooruit.brussels, strong education is the foundation for a strong future. We see the definitive transformation of the prisons as an excellent opportunity to create a major new educational campus, with a nursery, primary school and secondary school. A place where young Brussels residents are encouraged to learn.

Interesting examples

Both in Belgium and abroad there are plenty of examples of how large unused sites were transformed into vibrant city districts with different functions. An overview: