Zwerfruimte

Following their ‘plea for non-building’, RE-ST is conducting research into the (under) utilisation of space. According to the architects, the profusion of buildings in Flanders prevents us from realising just how much space we already have at our disposal.

Zwerfruimte (leftover space) manifests itself on different scales. To explain this diversity, RE-ST investigates four areas: culture/education, road infrastructure, housing and heritage. DeSingel functions as a case study within the first theme. Since the campus was inaugurated in 1968, it has undergone several expansions. The last, by Stéphane Beel Architecten, saw it grow by no less than another 12,000 m2. On the basis of sums and stories, RE-ST charts to what extent the campus is currently underutilised, or not as the case may be.