The Rampart, The Traffic Artery, and the Park; Designing for the city regions of Antwerp
Through a close reading of Antwerp’s current spatial and socio-economic composition, and the introduction of the interplay between the city’s three defining paradigms – abstracted to ‘The Rampart, the Traffic Artery, and the Park’ – this study tries to sketch a unifying strategy for Antwerp’s metropole. A strategy that embeds residential, economic, cultural, recreational, climatic, and historical motives within the different city regions. Thereby improving the connection between the left and right side of the river; transitioning the suburban region to a more polycentric structure while maintaining a spatial relation to the city; and explicitly manages the horizontal growth of the periphery. But that most importantly, captures the metropole in a single narrative from its inner-city to its outer edges. Graduation thesis prepared for the master’s degree in urban design at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
Through a close reading of Antwerp’s current spatial and socio-economic composition, and the introduction of the interplay between the city’s three defining paradigms – abstracted to ‘The Rampart, the Traffic Artery, and the Park’ – this study tries to sketch a unifying strategy for Antwerp’s metropole. A strategy that embeds residential, economic, cultural, recreational, climatic, and historical motives within the different city regions. Thereby improving the connection between the left and right side of the river; transitioning the suburban region to a more polycentric structure while maintaining a spatial relation to the city; and explicitly manages the horizontal growth of the periphery. But that most importantly, captures the metropole in a single narrative from its inner-city to its outer edges.
Graduation thesis prepared for the master’s degree in urban design at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
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1664
The map to the left shows Antwerp a few years after the signing of the Treaty of
Münster that marked the end of the Eighty Years’ war between the then Republic
of the Seven United Netherlands and the Spanish Empire. The map shows
that the Spaanse Omwalling was reinforced with several ravelins at the east
entrance of the city, and that the Citadel was enlarged with three ravelins.
On the left bank we see a new linear east-west connection between
Antwerp and the hinterland. The limited literature available on this road, suggests
that this is a dyke called the ‘Grote Groene Weghe’ that was supposed
to give access to Antwerp in the event that the Borgerweertpolder was inundated.
The three diagonal waterways connecting to the road seem to confirm
this (Antrop, De Maeyer, & Vandermotten, 2006, p. 19). The result of these
inundations is visible in the landscape of the polder in the form of the Geuzeweel
(1), the Galgeweel (2), and the Burchtse weel (3), which all formed after
dyke breaches. Probably due to one of the inundations during the Siege of
Antwerp in the Eighty Years’ War (Antwerpse Vereniging voor Bouwhistorie en
Geschiedenis, n.d.; Verbeeck, 1944, p. 166). We also see a new road along
the northern side of the Borgerweertpolder called the Scheldeweg (Scheldt
road).
We see that many forts and sconces have been discontinued after
the war. The Sconce (schans) of Borcht (4) is still visible, we further see a few
new redoubts at the end of the diagonal waterways and an unnamed fort/
sconce (5) north of Fort t’ Veer that was sometimes connected to Antwerp with
a pontoon bridge. Further to the north we see the early development of Fort
Isabelle (6), and continuing to the west we see three new unnamed sconces.
Near Swijndrecht we see the newly built Fort Laer, built in 1638 by the Spanish
(Verbraeken, 2018b).
Figure 1.16
A map of Antwerp in 1664. Derived
from the Flandria illustrate of Antonius
Sanderus, and a more detailed map of
Antwerp by Joan Blaeu (BnF Gallica,
n.d.; Oudelandkaarten.eu, n.d.).
1846
The map on the next page shows Antwerp halfway through the 19th century.
Between this map and the previous one, Antwerp has had four different rulers.
After the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), the Southern Netherlands
again belonged to the Holy Roman Empire under Charles VI according
to the Treaty of Utrecht. Subsequently in 1795 after the Battle of Fleurus, the
Southern Netherlands were annexed by France, and in 1799 after Napoleon’s
Coup of 18 Brumaire, fell under his rule. In 1814-1815 after the Napoleonic
Wars, the Treaty of Paris was signed which ultimately led to the formation of the
United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Which added the Southern Netherlands
to the reign of William I (Willem I der Nederlanden). However, this did not last
long, because of growing unrest due to, among other things, a difference in
religion (Catholic in the south and Protestant in the north) and general lack of
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