CENTRAL: Situated on the periphery of Charleroi, Gilly is a former industrial town where the urban fabric has long been fragmented. Its central area, dominated by an open-air parking lot, is surrounded by public buildings that remain disconnected from the public space. EUROPAN 13 launched a competition to develop the Destrée Neighborhood, the heart of Gilly, and as laureates, CENTRAL was invited to propose an operational project. Rather than imposing an external blueprint, the project seeks to work with the site’s existing potentials and logics, initiating a deep transformation from within. To integrate ecosystemic ambitions into the deep transformation of this post-industrial city center, the team has been strengthened by the landscape architects and ecologists of Plant & Houtgoed.
The project unfolds through three structuring ecologies. The urban forest, a regenerated ecosystem at the city’s core, weaves together previously disjointed urban fragments, fostering new connections. Place Destrée, once a mere parking surface, is reimagined as an expansive square, a flexible space capable of hosting various public events. The sports complex, once isolated, is extended and reoriented towards the public space, enriched by a new pavilion dedicated to boxing and collective activities. The transformation does not simply modify spaces; it rearticulates their very modes of existence, allowing previously disconnected entities (buildings, pathways, inhabitants, ecosystems) to enter into new relations. No longer inert surfaces, these elements become actants in a shared choreography, where spatial configurations are not fixed but constantly renegotiated through use and movement.
Alongside these three strong interventions, a series of ‘tailor-made’ actions operate as precise, context-sensitive transformations. These micro-interventions, akin to urban acupuncture, reinforce the district’s overall structure while responding to the specific needs of each site. Some interventions are subtle, like introducing natural shading or adjusting traffic flows while others are more assertive, such as creating new gathering spaces or installing public furnitures, a large swing or a fountain. The porous surfaces, the reintegration of existing trees, and the introduction of local flora reposition the non-human as active participants in the urban transformation. Biodiversity is reintegrated into the urban core, with plant species selected to attract local wildlife and contribute to the regeneration of soil health, creating a self-sustaining and resilient ecosystem.
Beyond the site’s physical transformation, the project enmeshes the Gilliciens in the reimagining of their own environment, making them active participants in its evolution. Through workshops, public consultations, and shared decision-making, their lived experiences and needs have shaped the intervention. Rather than imposing a rigid framework, the design amplifies existing interactions between people, soil, water, and built forms.
Architecture and urban design: CENTRAL
Landscape design: Plant & Houtgoed
Collaborators: Pierre Burquel, Louise de Froidmont, Guillaume Gorlier, Tina Javornik, Eva Recio Rodriguez, François Lamblin
Client: Ville de Charleroi
Structural engineering Greisch
Location: Gilly, Belgium
Design and construction years: Europan 13 laureate 2016, 2019-2024
Photo credits: Maxime Delvaux
