Grande HalleMolenbeek-Saint-Jean, Brussels

In Molenbeek, by the canal, a former industrial hall opens onto the quay and the neighbourhood. The project turns it into a large covered public garden, where people come to play, meet and stroll under shelter.

Beneath the preserved steel frame and glass roof, the hall becomes an inhabited glasshouse. A continuous floor with large blue-grey and white geometric patterns links every space; long planters of grasses, ferns and tall trees accompany the walk, and climbers grow up the columns. At the far end, small yellow play houses with their slides become the children's landmark.

From the canal quay, lined with trees and benches, the hall opens wide and stretches deep between the brick buildings, up to the old chimney. Groves, planted strips along the walls and a small round square invite people to enter and cross the site, from the canal to the play area.