XDGA’s competition winning design for the Place Rogier in Brussels and its surroundings takes place on a number of levels.
On the square itself, a generous patio is carefully excavated into the subterranean levels. The patio not only provides daylight to what are traditionally dark and artificially lit spaces but also acts as a connector, linking and facilitating the smooth interchange of passengers to and from street level to the intermodal transit hub. An enormous 64 metres diameter floating canopy covers not only the patio but also a bus stop, a significant portion of the square and even a part of the Brussels inner ring road. Together with the redesign of the square and its surrounding streets the project represents a daring new approach to the relationship between public space and public transport in the city.