De Warande

De Warande is a public walking and play domain in Kortrijk, used by residents and youth organisations. The project replaces existing multipurpose halls and introduces a new animal park alongside targeted landscape reconstructions and extensions. By relocating programmes from residual plots to pivotal positions, the design reorganises circulation and connects existing functions while framing distinct landscape types. Architecture is deliberately understated: buildings support play, orientation and social use, foregrounding the landscape as the primary experience.

A Park Domain for Everyday Public Life

De Warande is a recreational domain in Kortrijk, intensively used by local residents and by youth organisations. The commission combines two ambitions: replace the existing multipurpose building and develop an integrated plan for a new animal park, together with the reconfiguration and extension of specific landscape zones.

The project positions architecture as an enabling framework for park life—supporting movement, play and gathering while reinforcing the identity of the domain as a sequence of recognisable landscapes.

Shifting Programmes to Pivotal Places

The design is driven by one clear idea: move key programmes away from residual edges and place them on strategic, hinge-like locations that can reorganise routes and strengthen spatial coherence.

By repositioning the animal shelter, the multipurpose building and play elements to these pivotal points, the project creates new links between existing park functions and frames the different landscape typologies. This approach expands the usability of the domain and makes orientation more intuitive for first-time visitors as well as frequent users.

Clear Routes, Strong Connections

The new arrangement is conceived as a legible network of paths and destinations. Circulation is reorganised to reduce detours and to connect park facilities more directly, allowing youth groups, associations and casual visitors to share the domain without conflict.

The programme elements are placed to maximise interaction with the surrounding landscape: animal facilities, multipurpose building and play zones are aligned with views, edges and clear approach routes. The intent is to support everyday use—arrivals, gatherings, activities, breaks—through an efficient spatial layout that remains open-ended over time.

Understated Buildings, Robust Use

Architecture emerges from context, social ambition and the cultural role of De Warande as an adventurous landscape. The buildings do not seek prominence; instead, they function as quiet supports for the park’s public life.

Demolition and replacement are treated as opportunities to rethink existing structures and reinforce current qualities. By using playfulness and exploration as design parameters, the project aims for structures that resonate with the domain’s character and add experiential value without dominating the setting.

Landscapes as the Main Stage

The landscape is the primary protagonist. The project strengthens and extends distinct landscape types and uses new programme insertions to frame them. Play and walking routes become a continuous experience, with clear transitions between zones and moments of pause and activity.

Flexibility Through Landscape Logic

Future-proofing is embedded in the organisational logic: by anchoring programmes at strategic nodes, the park can evolve while maintaining clarity. Low-tech, maintainable interventions prioritise robust public use and long-term adaptability, ensuring that De Warande remains a resilient and inclusive domain for Kortrijk.