Could you sketch out your vision for Bijloke 2.0 in 2100?

To conclude their advanced bachelor’s degree programme in landscape development, the students set out to explore a new vision for the Bruges Ommelanden for the year 2100. The new vision of the future they created for this project was based on the research question: “What will be the significance and character of Bruges’ surrounding countryside in 2100, in a context where a strong interaction and reciprocal collaboration between the city and its surrounding countryside is once again emerging?” They studied the various surrounding countryside areas in Bruges in terms of their different landscape types and scales. Each of the existing landscapes and surrounding areas – such as the polders and creek landscape, the Gistel-Maldegem sand ridge and the valley landscape of the Reie – had its own history, character and challenges.

The coordinating lecturers also formulated sub-questions such as: “If we were to reimagine the landscape with a time horizon extending to 2100, what would it look like? What will be the new normal in the landscape of our (great-)grandchildren?”

These questions prompt us to re-examine the landscapes in our immediate surroundings. It makes one curious to see how the students – having spent several years at the Bijloke campus – will apply the insights gained from their programme and this Ommeland project to the site. Here, too, there is a unique interplay between ‘city and open space’, ‘land and user’, ‘human and animal’, and ‘history, current use and future’. Students Sam Latré and Ringer Wiegersma have already formulated a few answers.

LIENE AERTS 
How would you briefly describe the types of landscape that the Bijloke site currently encompasses?

SAM LATRÉ
You could describe the Bijloke site as a land­scape in its own right. Whilst it does exist in a sort of bubble, this means it encompasses various types of green space: urban green, historic green, park green and school green. These terms describe not only the green spaces themselves, but also the different functions and meanings the site has acquired over time. The historic orchard is a fine example of this. Whilst it once served as a source of food for the sick, the same spot is now urban green space: a place to linger, to find shelter, the backdrop to a park, or, as school green space, a place to gather together.

Consequently, the Bijloke site is not a collection of separate landscape typologies, but a landscape that can be described using different typologies over time. The place remains the same, whilst its meaning, use and relationship with people are constantly shifting.

RINGER WIEGERSMA
The site has a park-like structure that, within the walls of the medieval hospital, forms a sheltered, pleasant, open space in the bustling city. Set amongst the old wards are small gardens that reveal the site’s historical layout, offering room for tranquillity and reflection. The site opens out towards Godshuizenlaan and, around the old abbey, provides various open spaces for gatherings, festivals and social inter­action. As you walk across the site, you feel carried by the history hidden within the trees, walls and grounds.

LA
What does the Bijloke site mean for the quality of life in a city like Ghent? What constitutes a sustainable relationship between the bijloke site and the city from both perspectives?

SL
You could see the Bijloke site as a sort of stepping stone within the city. For a local child, it can be their first encounter with a manageable and safe form of nature. For a student who visits every day, that connection becomes more natural. For others, it is the place where you seek out a sunny spot in summer, where people play sport and games, or where you simply spend a little time. For me, therefore, the Bijloke site is more than just an open space within the city. It is a landscape that teaches people to observe and make use of it, whilst at the same time serving as a sounding board for society and its changing needs. The walnut tree, once planted to ward off evil spirits, now literally provides a cool respite on a hot summer’s day. The tree has remained the same, but what we seek and need from it is changing.

For me, a sustainable relationship between the city and the Bijloke site therefore means an interplay in which the place can retain its distinct character and history, whilst providing room for the changing needs of the city and its residents.

RW
Together with the cultural institutions based on the site, the site offers the opportunity to delve deeper, connect, marvel and reflect.

LA
What challenges and tasks does the Bijloke site face in terms of climate?

SL
I think that, when it comes to spatial planning, people often think in terms of the wrong patterns. The Bijloke site is a place for people and evolves in line with societal trends. However, a landscape takes time to change. Human trends simply move faster than the growth of a tree.

For me, therefore, the climate challenge is not just a challenge for the sitein itself, but above all a challenge concerning the way we, as people, interact with this place. The annual reseeding of the lawn used by Gent Jazz, the trees that are struggling here, and the lack of shade are becoming increasingly apparent during periods of heat and drought. At the same time, during wetter periods, water collects on the bare, newly sown field, where puddles sometimes struggle to drain away.

In my view, the challenge lies in seeking a landscape that needs to be adapted less constantly to its use, and is given more room to change in its own right. Not every problem calls for a new intervention. Sometimes the landscape simply needs time, room and a different approach.

RW
As a cultural park and monument, the Bijloke site faces various major challenges, such as temperatures that are difficult to regulate, accessibility for minority groups, and flooding or drought. These challenges are already becoming apparent in various places on the site. In and around the buildings, temperatures rise significantly in summer. Due to the hardening and compaction of the ground, the site either dries out or is left with large puddles.

LA
What do you wish for the Bijloke’s future?

SL
I hope that today we can turn that narrative on its head: that the insides of the building will now care for the outdoor space. That we look not only at what the Bijloke site can do for people, but also at what the landscape itself needs to remain healthy and resilient.

As a result, the Bijloke site need not be merely an urban, park, garden or historical landscape. I also see it as a test landscape and a landscape of recovery: a place where students, visitors and users not only make use of the space, but also help to think about how it can change, recover and continue to grow.

A place where there is room to experiment, to learn and to give time to what needs time. Perhaps that is where the future of the Bijloke site lies: not in a single, fixed end goal, but in a landscape that, together with its users, continues to seek out what it needs.

RW

As a beacon of art and creativity in an ever-­changing city, I hope that the Bijloke site will continue to fulfil its important role as a connector. May it remain a place to find peace: for centuries, the site has been a place for reflection. May the site increasingly establish itself as a champion of a compassionate society driven by the arts. May it be a place for the people of Ghent and its visitors to come together, be inspired and celebrate life

LA
Could you sketch out your vision of Bijloke 2.0 in 2100?