On 8 September, the opening of the redesigned Oranjeplein in Mariahout was celebrated with a series of festive activities, as well as 75 years of freedom.
The redevelopment plans for the square were developed by MTD landscape architects in collaboration with Zorg om het Dorp, in an intensive process with ample room for the input of residents, stakeholders and associations. In 2016, the office of the municipality of Laarbeek was commissioned to draw up study models, residents' evenings and consultations with individual stakeholders to arrive at a draft design, a definitive and a technical design plan.
The wishes for the redesign of the square included greening, a quality impulse for the adjacent street with shops and restaurants, strengthening the cohesion with the Processiepark and the Open Air Theater and improved road safety. Integrating parking, setting up the annual fun fair, a skating rink, jeu de boules court and playground were also hard preconditions.
MTD developed a strategic zoning of the space as the basis for a clear and coherent design plan, whereby all wishes and requirements could land in the right place. One of the most important interventions is the introduction of a natural stone boulevard with benches. All structural elements of the park are hereby spatially and functionally connected. The spatial effect of the boulevard is enhanced by the powerful lighting plan and a colorful flower border.
