Introduction
Wonderwoud is the name of the fourth green-pole of the city of Ghent. It is located on the eastern outskirts of the city, on approximately 7 km of the city center and it will be connected by a future green climate axe. The final green-pole will cover 100 hectares. The first phase includes the creation of 30 hectares of wilderness and recreational infrastructure.
The Wonderwoud project was commissioned by the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forest in cooperation with the City of Ghent. The design team that drew up the plans and supervised the planning- and execution process consisted of BUUR Part of Sweco, Driekwart Groen and URA architects.
Growth model
The site had long been a restricted area for safety reasons, but is today a popular wild growing nature area for citizens, bank swallows, the bee orchid and so forth. The X shaped site was not a traditional historical landscape. It was a ‘residual landscape’ in a suburban context, shaped by post-war events, in which the elevation for an airport and later sand extraction had drastically changed the landscape. Halting the sand mining left behind a unique topography, with meter-high sand hills, wet depressions, enormous ponds and gradients of habitats for various animal and plant species. This unique condition determined the perspective of the designers, who have drawn up a strategy for a growth model in which nature conducts and landscape development is managed. The strategy consists of a topography development grid and integrates a vocabulary of solutions for challenges related to ecosystems, water and climate in combination with characteristic design for identity, recreation and play.
Spontaneous nature development
The soil of the ‘Old Airport’ has been disturbed many times and the ‘hilly’ topography triggers spontaneous nature development. The soil and relief structure provides the opportunity for an area-specific vegetation and habitat to develop. Birches, willow trees and other pioneers are already sprouting and flower-rich shrublands and grasslands are popping up. The relief of the terrain and the water regime provides a special habitat for many plants and animals. This unique situation gives opportunities to species that struggle elsewhere, such as the bank swallow and the kingfisher. To support the bank swallow for example, we developed a high sand ridge that will be cut every year to provide necessary bird nest renewal.
Enhancing its enigmatic identity
In favor of the further development, a characteristic design language for interventions was prepared to reinforce playfulness and the identity of Wonderwoud. The plan for the execution of the first phase, has foreseen in necessary pathways, readable edges, recognizable entrances and dotted the plan with special features like the tower and some playful elements.
Readable edges and recognizable entrances
To make the striking, raised landscape X-figure of the ‘Old Airport’ recognizable, the existing sand dyke was completed around the green pole up to 4m high. Ecologically, the dyke surrounding the Wonderwoud, forms the transition between the densely forested area within the dyke figure and the old, more open surrounding cultural landscape. Here, we introduced a typology of ‘dyke breaches’ that coherently mark the entrances of Wonderwoud. The cut-outs from the dyke landscape thus ensuring recognizability and orientation in the area.
Playful architectural and recreational interventions
The design language consists of a set of recognizable interventions in the area, complemented by atypical interventions that make a visit to the Wonderwoud a memorable experience. In the forest, we therefore created open spaces charged with characteristic, alienating elements. For the ideas we co-created with 100 schoolchildren from the neighborhood in a participation process. It resulted in a number of playful features, like the sand theater, enlarged jump grains, the waterplay mirror, … One of the main attractions of Wonderwoud is the outlook tower. The tower itself is inserted in the highest sand ridge in the north eastern part and is 24m high to overlook the growing forest. It is constructed with nature inclusive solutions such as a facade full of holes that serve birds and insects. The dubbel routing towards the tower gives access to the belvedère. This belvedère serves as an integral accessible platform, from which you can start winding up along the tower stairs. Going up, the tower opens up to a different side each level. Once at the top, you can enjoy the panoramic view overlooking on the development of Wonderwoud and see the remarkable three towers in the city center of Ghent.
Placemaking – Raising ambassadors and harvest local knowledge
For the Wonderwoud project, a long-term participation process was set up by the design team. The aim was to increase support for and involvement in the development of the project.
In addition to traditional communication and info channels, public and participatory events were organized. Initially, the focus was on co-creation with children from the neighborhood and a comprehensive process was undertaken to make them ‘ambassadors’ of Wonderwoud. During workshops, site visits, games and interviews, more than 100 children from four surrounding neighborhood schools were challenged to think of and visualize what their play lead could be in the forest. From the multitude of ideas, the design team explored a number of interesting imaginations and translated them into the design.
Secondly, the focus shifted to informing and involving all Ghent citizens, local residents and adjacent farmers. Therefore ‘green-safaris’ were organized twice for hundreds of inhabitants during the planning process. During these ‘green safaris’, the broadly interested public could take a tour in Wonderwoud, spot birds, follow information sessions and make suggestions to the experts from the design team and the client. During execution, a few hundred more inhabitants were invited and guided during the so called ‘execution-site walks’, to experience the fascinating world of construction. The enthusiasm that has since emerged, has resulted in the formation of ‘the Friends of Wonderwoud’, a group of volunteers who now continue to work as ambassadors for Wonderwoud.
• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape: SWECO (voorheen BUUR), Driekwart Groen
• All architecture offices involved in the design:
URA Architecten
• Other credits:
Client: Agentschap Natuur en Bos (Flemish Agency for Nature and Forest), Stad Gent (City of Ghent)
