What’s land recycling? Read about this German example
The city of Flensburg got a grant from the regional government of Schleswig-Holstein so that it would avoid building on new land
The two gas holders will become a crucial part of the neighborhood sprouting around the former industrial area, Source: City of Ghent
The Tondelier gas holders will be the heart of a new neighbourhood
The City of Ghent in Belgium is giving new life to an old industrial site – the two gas holders in the Tondelier district. One will become a water reservoir, the other – a meeting place.
The historic site will be the heart of the new neighbourhood of 530 homes currently under construction in the area. The redevelopment of the facilities is being aided by the Industrial Museum. The Tondelier gas holders will be available to the public for the first time at Ghent’s “Open Monument Route 2021”, a program aimed at promoting local historic sites.
Today, the gas holders in Ghent are the only ones remaining in Flanders, and they are a majestic remnant of the city’s gasworks industry. They were built in 1880 and are part of the history of the Compagnie du Gaz de Gand.
They functioned as storage for the coal and gas produced in the region. The former 'tinderiers' used that gas to light Ghent's streetlamps, so there were many such holders across the region. However, gradually they fell into disuse and disrepair, then started disappearing.
But these two gas holders survived and even became protected monuments. Now, they are finding a new reason to exist, and a new purpose.
One of the holders was completely gutted so that the parts can be used to repair the other one. Gasholder 1 is the repaired one, and it will be used as a water reservoir for the neighbourhood. A quarter of its roof will be translucent so visitors can admire “the belly of the beast”. At the same time, the mechanisms that kept the holders air-tight will be stripped and displayed in the park.
Gasholder 2 will be sealed in with soil, clay and topsoil. The visible bricks and railing will be restored with historic accuracy in mind, but it will serve as a gathering place for the locals using the park.
Filip Watteeuw, Alderman for Public Space and Monuments, stated in a press release that the gas holders are part of Ghent's industrial past and their preservation is crucial for the future, as well as beneficial for the area.
The site is a feature on the Open Monumentendag (Open Monument Day) 2021, a Ghent initiative aiming to promote cultural heritage in the area. Tours of heritage sites will start on 30 August featuring the so-called “Ghent Classics”, industrial heritage sites, repurposed churches and a cycling route passing by local castles.
If you want to keep up with how European cities and regions are changing, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
His name is Adrian-Dragoș Benea from Romania
Find out her vision for the next five years and what’s in store for the European Union
Gotland wants to be at the forefront of this emerging mobility technology
It’s all about preventing the habit of slowing down just for the radar
Landkreis Heilbronn will also enlist the help of sensors to identify incorrectly filled organic trash bins
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
The Old Continent gets ready for the largest festival of sports
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital