Aalst - Pupillen site masterplan

The Pupillen-site is a collection of different objects distributed through the centre of Aalst. This group of objects occupies a relevant portion of the city centre (almost the entire north-eastern sector) and therefore is crucial for the definition of the future of the entire city. An idea for the Pupillen-site is an idea for Aalst altogether. It implies an interpretation of the role of the city in the Brussels metropolitan region, an understanding of the everyday rhythm of the town, an investigation of its unexpected moments of eruption. Transforming the Pupillen site does not just imply the development of a design, but requires the definition of a method to look at this ensemble (an attitude towards description) and a strategy to organize the ensuing process. This means that the crucial operation is to observe: to check the balance in between the Pupillen site and the city around it, to recognize their mutual adjustments, to detect changes in the urban processes as soon as they appear.