URBAN GYM

Micro

Charlois, Rotterdam

NL

The neglected Slotboomplein in the south of Rotterdam was dominated by heat nuisance, flooding, dying trees, noise nuisance, lack of destination and dog feces due to a lack of ownership. As a result of a large powerstation and an unnecessary service road with fencing, there was also little square space left to rightly speak about a square and a square design assignment.

In order to tackle the summed up problematique, the square was enlarged at the expense of the service road, the residents were closely involved from the start, a large percentage of multi-layer vegetation was intervened, the groundlevel was carefully designed to make rainwater flow into the vegetation patches and the square was programmed into a concrete healthy goal to travel to. For example, the blind facade of the transformation has been transformed into a climbing wall, the large asphalt football cage has been changed into a smaller multifunctional panna - and football- /basketball cage and large playground equipment was purchased for children that can also be used as fitness equipment by the seniors who live on the fringe of the square. All these activities can be seen from benches and picnic benches that are positioned alternately in sun and shade.