The MDL agency has made a name for itself again for its expertise in the development of public space in Rodange, with the creation of a multi-generational square. After MDL had already renovated the courtyard of the adjacent Neiwiss school in 2010/2011, this project was an opportunity to invest further in the premises and to breathe new life into a space that until then had just been a “non-place”. The creation of this green space in the local urban fabric made it possible to transform this former car park into a real meeting place, a lively neighbourhood square with high-quality design.
A set of polygonal shapes unfolds across the square and is accompanied by a fine work on the topography, embellished with elements of urban furniture and vegetation. Custom-made benches and seats punctuate the small terraces created on the north side of the square, along the Neiwiss school, and offer opportunities for relaxation in the shade of pine, hornbeam, rowan, cherry and dogwood trees. A stratum of herbaceous and shrubby vegetation covers these plateaux which invite you to stroll. These green platforms are articulated between the Foyer Bambi and the sports fields, including the development of the courtyard of the Neiwiss school.
They are extended by an urban art intervention (carried out in collaboration with the Center za Raziskave Dizajna) which takes place on the adjacent roadway. The design of the layout of the central space, made in a multi-format paving, thus overflows from the square and finds its continuation in the rhythm of the pattern painted on the ground that invests the space of the rue Joseph Mescado. This is indeed the objective for an art installation in an urban context such as this one, to make the street space more pedestrian-friendly and to make people forget its street character. A continuity is thus recreated between the neighbouring playground and the new square.
The southern fringe of the square, also planted with trees, contains different types of seating whose colours and unique design give the space a playful aspect. The custom-made picnic table completes the equipment of this space, which is more aimed at teenagers.
The square also changes its atmosphere according to the events and during the year. The square only offers a limited accessibility to vehicles, so the square accommodates the market as well as the Christmas market cabins and the fairground.
Name of the project: The Green Spaces,
Multi-Generational Square, Rodange
Other designers involved in the design of landscape: Center za Raziskave Dizajna
Project location: Rue Joseph Moscardo, L-4741 Rodange
Design year: 2011-2013; 2016
Year Built: 2017-2018
