VOORONTWERP MASTERPLAN SHELDEKAAIEN
The demand of recovering a waterfront for the city, as well as a report onr the variation of water levels – the normal daily tide spans from zero up to 5,0m – motivated the program for the competition. The presentation of the project could not exclude the need for achievable technical solutions for the defense of the city against flooding, though at the same time, needsto reform the existing structures to guarantee a fair financial and functional program.
In order to respond to this precise program, the aim of the strategic intervention is to protect the city and to define the embankment as a civic structure and shelter for the local population to explore a better way of life. An essential aspect of the idea concerns the spatial variation where the boundaries meet the rising waters. By either accepting the approaching river or gaining space for the city, a dynamic landscape is created which could vary under the tide effect or in case of exceptional floods. This line, derived from the form of each typological section, also defined the possible integration of uses. On one side, it established floodable areas which are ideal for temporary purposes and, on the other, dry platforms for permanent purposes, returning public space to the city. These spaces determine the conditions for the location of infrastructure, urban furniture, buildings or green areas.
