On Friday August 6th, an urban beach was installed near the Palace of Justice in Brussels by the Foyer des jeunes des Marolles. To cover the 15 m2 of available space, 26 tons of sand were needed. Deckchairs, music and a whole lot of activities have been deployed to entertain the children.
According to the Brussels Times, the ‘Skieve Parck’ project is organized in partnership with the City of Brussels, and its main goal is to bring new life to the slopes of the Place of Justice. The slopes had been used as an illegal car park for many years — the zone was declared car-free earlier this year.
The urban beach will join a climbing frame, graffiti mural, recycled furniture and bar. Authorities want to revitalize the area, which appears to be a strategic location between the upper and lower parts of the city.
The intention is to highlight the slopes as a public area, and this is a first step towards the activation of that very large space
Ans Persoons, Brussels Alderman for Urbanism
The urban beach project comes after the installation of the Hanging Gardens and the Book of Brussels, a human-sized book with pages corresponding to different possible activities in the neighborhood (picnic, urban gardening, exhibition space, etc.).
“The goal is to offer a vacation space for young people and families who have not had the opportunity to go away or who have already gone on vacation and who are in Brussels for the month of August,” said Bilal Chuitar, director of the Foyer des Jeunes des Marolles.
In the absence of sun, it is possible to take advantage of the place to rest, listen to concerts or simply to relax on a deckchair in the middle of the city. It is also possible to have one’s bike repaired for free at the dedicated space. The beach will be open from Wednesdays to Fridays between 11:00 AM and 9:00 PM.
