Where paths cross

Ottignies is a crossover. The town has grown up along the Dyle valley at the junction of two major rail routes (Brussels-Namur and Brussels-Charleroi).

The town has both its own local identity and a larger regional dimension. 

Ottignes' development has also been fragmentary. The presence of major infrastructure has had a physical impact on the landscape and influenced the structure of the town itself.

The project set itself the task of interacting with these two characteristics in its approach, and aims to establish the neighbourhood of the station as a genuine presence within the town of Ottignes by anchoring it within its environment and providing coherent development.

The installation of public spaces (the "Dike" and the "Station square") will create a stopover place around the station conducive to life and attracting both local residents and visitors. The project promotes social exchanges and openness to the environment. It does not seek to have the final say but to establish a basis from which a sustainable solution for this complex site can be developed.