Mills of Deinze (“Molens van Deinze”) is an ambitious development project for a historic mill in Flanders. It borders the Leie River, an important economic and cultural vector in the region. As mills and silos have gradually been added on the site, it now has a rich, playful variety in open spaces and building scales, resembling a condensed city.
The project introduces housing, commerce and public programs around a series of central courtyards. Following the site’s current logic, buildings on the south side are lower, relating to their residential neighbors and letting the sun reach the public spaces. Interventions by the silos on the north side are higher, asserting the city’s presence by the river. The buildings themselves are variated in scale, materiality and volume to prolong the site’s qualities.
The neighborhood is connected to the city via an entry on the main street and a future pedestrian and cycle link along the river. The public outdoor spaces are designed to offer variety and human scale: a large green park, a lively urban plaza, lush gardens, intimate pocket parks, terraces and riverside promenade ensure an attractive and generous neighborhood.
Typology
Masterplan, Public, Residental, Commercial
Status
Direct commission (2021)
Ongoing
Location
Deinze, Belgium
Illustrations by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
