Project Discription:

Maastricht’s population is ageing and shrinking. Towns and smaller cities are gradually thinning their population substance since more and more people are moving back to the capitals. This ongoing trend will have serious economic and social implications, phenomena similar to all European cities. Could we tackle this negative trend with spatial tools next to the political and capital reforms, to support the Return to the City?

The redevelopment of the Belvédère Maastricht area could be placed into this agenda. The existing masterplan for the Sphinxkwartier offers a solid basis. Our proposal is an exploration of further potentialof the masterplan’s existing structure.

We have realised another yet important characteristics of this specific project. The “bestemmingsplan“ (legal spatial document) conventions for areas temporarily polluted with noise are still to be explored. The initial brief of the project address the focus on technical and design problem of the Sphinxkwartier architecture along the Frontensingel caused by the heavy traffic noise. Our proposal challenges the urban structural issueon top of the architectural solution. We offer the flexibility in actual and legal use for the inhabitants following two possible scenarios:

a. The NOW scenario, the Frontensingel with its traffic noise is on its location for longer period of time. The sound wall for all the four building blocks is designed as a habitable extension, the SoundGarden. Designed to deflect and absorb the pollution from the traffic noise. Only programs that are for temporary use and NOT for living take place there: SoHo (small office – home office), vertical garden, serre (winter garden) and extra storages. Apartment owners have the choice to configure their own sound barrier according to the specific needs of the household.

b. The AFTER scenarioplays with the future plans, after the Frontensingel will become a local street with much lighter traffic. With removal of the road the legal problems for the “verblijfsruimte” (living space) along the road will be removed. In such case, the SoundGarden units can be converted into living areas:extra rooms, open balconies, extensions of the living rooms or different storages. Without any structural change, the west frontier of all the four buildings along the Frontensingel can then be fully opened towards the Belvédère extension to create the new lively avenue.