Abstract:
Brussels is a city with immense potentials and opportunities. Being at the heart
of Europe, it is coherently connected with rest of the world both physically and
figuratively. However, these opportunities and connections constantly attract
people from around the world; giving way to a heterogenic society of diverse
ethnicities and cultures. This heterogenic society creates a strong tension in some
quarters of Brussels – especially when there is a prominent arrival magnet as
with the case of neighbourhood Fountains with Brussels south railway station in
close proximity. As with any infrastructure project, the proposed metro and tram
station of Lemonier, is a potential for not only the neighbourhood of Fountains
but also for entire metropolis of Brussels. The proposed MetCom program
incorporating the Brussels underground gives these commonly mono-functional
mobility infrastructure projects a new meaning; transforming them into effective
urban public spaces. Introduction of this proposed novel logistic system for urban
freight transportation allows new possibilities for the use of existing unused
space within the metro stations as well as in the adjoining gray buildings. The
project not only helps revitalize the neighbourhood by introducing a new
economy but also encourages better interaction of the heterogenic society by
providing a place for activity. The project however does not create an
architectural object; on the contrary, it creates an invisible architecture
