City Square in Namur

Namur became the capital of Wallonia, one of the three provinces of Belgium, only in 1986. The transformation of the city into an administrative centre led to a spate of building, with the creation of new ministries and pedestrian zones, the refurbishment of historical buildings and the extension of the urban infrastructure. One new measure was the upgrading of public spaces in the old city centre, for which an urban planning competition was held. Account had to be taken of the busy traffic route between the two stations, to north and south, and of the existing urban squares, which suffered from heavy car use. The Place d’Armes, for example, an important square in front of the city hall before the First World War, had declined to little more than a parking area. The competition winners proposed a restructuring of the urban spaces that would allow pedestrians, car drivers and public transport to share these areas on an equal basis. Car parking was banished to an 1,800m2 garage beneath the square, while at ground level, a huge timber terrace was created with fountains and benches. At weekends, markets, exhibitions and sporting events can be held here. A cobblestone strip around the outside of the terrace links up with the garage access. Different materials – wood, stone and asphalt – indicate which route residents should take, depending on whether they are on foot, driving a car or looking for a parking space.