Filippi Lorenzo Gaveglio Lorenzo
LINKEROEVER PHOTO BOOK
From the righ bank Linkeroever, a neighborhood often forgotten and seen as something different and detached from the center of Antwerp, is however an intriguing sight, always present, from the right bank. The silhuette of the Europark buildings stands out beyond the Schelde in the midst of vegetation. Every uninformed tourist, after visiting the historic center, will find himself fascinated by the view of the other side, wondering what lies beyond. The only way to reach Linkeroever walking is through the pedestrian tunnel, 31 meters below ground, below the river. Two mirrored structures, built in 1931, works as elevators. The entrance from the historic center is on the square of the ‘‘Sunday Flea Market’’, which reflects the typical urbanity of the center (B), while the arrival on the left bank is in a more dispersive space, we found ourselves in a large open space with meadows and green spaces that has no connotations neither of park nor of urban square, but a strange middle ground. On the other hand, it is interesting the relationship with the linar park that runs along the river Schelde, well connected with pedestrian and bicycle paths.
A
B
Europark The central part of Linkeroever is characterized by many similar tall buildings, all of which were built with a unique urban project from the 1960s. This big volumes standing on a leef of green are the result of a modernist approach to urbanism, built as social houses blocks after the second world war. In this area the services are very limited, but the few that there are (kindergarten, police barracks and a supermarket) define the “attractive centre� of Europark. The public fabric between the tall buildings is characterised by many square metres of parks, playgrounds, car parks and green areas. However, these open spaces seem fragmented and sometimes oversized due to the lack of people that are using them. Almost all the buildings have a ground floor that is inaccessible and without services. The south-north and east-west orientation of the buildings produces a series of rectangular open spaces with the buildings themselves as the background of public life in the neighbourhood.
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
Three towers Unlike Europark, the complex of the three towers, built a few years later, in 1972, is inhabited by a very wealthy social class. The second tower, the Riverside tower, designed by LĂŠon Stynen and Paul De Meyer is the only one of the three with an interesting concept of ground floor connection, where are now located two architectural firms. It is also interesting the design of the top floor as a penthouse, then inhabited by Meyer himself. The architectural choices are not only functional but also seek an aesthetic that is missing in the towers of Europark. The only similarity is the lack of relationship between the building and the public space below, also in this case made up of large areas designed as lawns. This part of the neighborhood is very well maintained and clean, this makes us realize that the problem is not in the tower type itself, but in how it is experienced and lived.
M
N
O
P
Detached houses Other districts of linkeroever, on the other hand, are characterized by two or three-storey housing units, such as terraced houses or detached houses. These types also reflect a higher social class and perhaps the ideal of family life in Flanders. The possibility of having a big house with a garden and the possibility of being ten minutes from the city centre is certainly not something ordinary. The most common means of transport used by the inhabitants of these areas, although public transport and cycling paths are very well connected to the centre, is certainly the private car. The different social classes and economic abilities of the residents of Linkeroever can easily be perceived from the cars parked in the different areas.
Q
R
Terraced houses While in the Europark area, there are practically no cars and people mainly use public transport, the area of the terraced houses is characterized by the presence of many expensive car, sign of a wealthy population. The entrance in these neighborhoods is alienating beacuse they are so different from their surrounding. You don’t see many people around, there are no facilities and the only thing that “brings you back� to Linkeroever are the tall buildings that can be seen in the background. Very often the towers form the background to these areas characterized by two-storey houses and tall buildings. More specifically, in the northern part of the left bank, the three towers look like isolated objects that pop up in the orderly fabric of terraced houses. In the south distict the terraced house typology instead fits well in the context (T), providing a nice and vibrating front that faces the lake.
S
T
Landscape The landscape that can be admired in and from Linkeroever is rich but desolate, inhabited mainly in spring and summer. There are many green areas in the site, among the largest is the ‘‘Het Rot park’’, impressive for its size and its emptyness (U). On the North shore there is a natural beach (Y, Z) that gets vitality in the warm season thanks to a series of bars that approach it. The view from the beach varies from the harbour to an aeolian landscape, from vegetation to the oil refineries. On the opposite side, to the south, there is another mirror of water, ‘‘Lake Galgeweel’’ (W, X). The ‘‘Sint-Annatunnel’’ is a bustle of bicycles and joggers. In less than five minutes by bike you can reach the left bank from the city center. It seems to be in another world, the spaces expand, the narrow pedestrian alleys of the old town become wide boulevards with very few cars. In Antwerp it is very difficult to ride a bike because of the fragmented bike paths, stone blocks and the frequent tram tracks. In the left bank, on the other hand, cycling is very easy, and the system of cycle paths is widespread and well separated from the carriageways by rows of trees. Linkeroever is also well connected to public transport. The underground tramway (which runs under the river) takes you to the central ‘‘Groenplaats’’ in five minutes and only one stop. ‘‘Van Edenplein’’ is the transportation hub of Linkeroever, here there is a large car park, the underground tram stop, and the arrival of the pedestrian tunnel.
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
1
2
3
4