OVER
SIZE
CHARLEROI TERRIL
DES
VALLÉES
Master Dissertation Sébastien Ronchetti KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture 2019-2020
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This essay contains the work delivered throughout the academic year of 2019-2020 for the Master Dissertation OVERSIZE CHARLEROI supervised by Harold Fallon. During this studio three unique sites, each oversized in their own way, were the main focus. A bank, a terril and a university. Each calling for a different approach. What follows is one of three in practice booklets which contain the main reflections during the different analyses and design processes as well as the final proposals.
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ABSTRACT The OVERSIZE studio does not merely focus on buildings of which the size is just too large. There are many ways in which a building or site can be oversized. Thus, this research should rather be seen as a reflection over size than as a solution for the many oversized buildings in Charleroi. In the most literal sense, a building too vast in relation to its current program is oversized. In those cases, the introduction of new programs seems tempting but our present focus lies on proposing ways to adapt, in order to better support the building’s current program. When something is oversized, we can also say it lacks density. The vastness of large surfaces can induce a feeling of emptiness. What interventions are possible, while not undermining the initial quality of these spaces? Although the word oversize often has a rather negative connotation, large sizes are definitely not a bad thing. They allow for many possibilities and unique situations. When considering size, aspects of a building can in fact even appear undersized. What happens when we give these parts the same character as the rest of the building and thus make them oversized as well?
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A terril, heap of waste, remnant of industrial times, covered in trees. Two football fields with small buildings and a little stand. Hardware stores and supermarkets share a massive parking lot. Forgotten pieces of land inbetween. A velodrome and a large stand. Though, the stand’s inclination does not allow to view the entire race track. This is the Terril des VallÊes. 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 - LAYERED PAST
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02 - DYSTOPIAN FUTURE
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03 - PROPOSAL FOR THE PRESENT
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04 - CONCLUSION
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05 - BIBLIOGRAPHY
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01
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LAYERED PAST
Right from the start, it is obvious that this site is not like any other in the OVERSIZE studio. First of all, it is not tied to one oversized building. The oversize theme applies here, in one way or another to the entire site. The site could be described as a collection of largescale human interventions, ranging from buildings to sports fields, hiking trails and the terril itself. All these interventions seem to lack any form of coherence. Large in scale, the site has an overall feel of emptiness. Thus, a key point in understanding a strange site such as the Terril des VallĂŠes is to not only look at the current situation, but also look at its past. What kind of events have shaped this site? How did these strange looking footprints come into existence? Only then is it possible to understand whether or not this site is oversized in the literal sense.
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1971
The original name of the site, Terrils des VallĂŠes, was written in plural. This picture makes clear why, as there were two hills. Two heapsdeoflawaste separated by tracks. Remnants of the industrial past. GĂŠoportail Wallonie 1994-2000
1994-2000
Four large footprints have settled all over the site. A supermarket, a hardware store and a football club have replaced the smaller terril, while the velodrome seems to take a large bite out of the bigger one. Meanwhile, the terril itself is slowly getting reclaimed by nature. 8
2006-2007
Little has changed except for the stand which has been transferred from the Charleroi football stadium to the velodrome after the Euro Championship in 2000. GĂŠoportail de la Wallonie 2015
2015
Expansion of the store and parking capacity up to six stores and 197 parking spaces. The terril has become more densely overgrown. A spot on the top remains more open as it is used as a training ground for mountainbikers as well as a trail for hikers. 9
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A collage showing the events that shaped this site. First of all, the industry literally shaped the site, creating the terril. While nature slowly took over this piece of forgotten land, another set of human interventions transformed the site as we know it today. A collection of shapes and functions. The Terril and thus, this little piece of wild nature is reduced to a mere background to all of these, waiting for future events to further brutalize it.
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Currently, the velodrome, the most intriguing object on the site, is in a state of abandonment and decay. Twenty years after its inauguration, the concrete shows lots of cracks and holes where small plucks of grass start to grow. Its surroundings are cladded in graffiti and all kinds of moss and mold stain the once slick and clean surfaces. Cycling on the track has become very dangerous so all activity has been reduced to the occasional visitor, thus, making the stand with 2477 seats completely useless. This all gives the Velodrome a strange character. This oversized object, unable to perform its primary function, screams for importance while slowly turning into a ruin.
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2477 PLACES MAXIMUM Scattered around this large stand, these warning signs underline the irony. This vacant, monstrous stand, the inclination of which doesn’t even allow to see the finish line, warns its visitors to limit crowds to 2477 people. It almost feels too easy to call this stand oversized.
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Ils sont les poumons verts du Pays Noir.
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A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE
For the first few weeks, it was difficult to imagine an intervention on this site. One thing was certain, it carries a layered history where nature and men interfere with each other’s actions. This tension intrigued me. The terrils of Charleroi are often described as the green lungs of the city, marking their crucial role. However, as importance grows, so does interest. More and more projects are starting to take form around the terrils. Some terrils have become heritage, others are not so protected. Since they are a byproduct of human actions, why should men not be free to fiddle with them at will? A repetitive pattern, where the man’s actions are followed by nature reclaiming its place and vice versa, makes one think about what the future could hold. Now that nature has fully covered the terril and is slowly starting to affect the velodrome, what could be the next phase?
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IMAGINE... A landscape. Man-made, the byproduct of the industrial revolution and the immense need for coal. A landscape. Reclaimed by nature, covered in grass, bushes and trees. A new ecosystem.
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As the years go by, this new landscape, free to use since it is already manmade, generates more and more interest. Its large surface attracts large projects. New geometries creep into this landscape. As intruders, they alter the landscape and thus, create new ones. Where once was one single landscape there now are several. Shattered and spread all over the site, without unity. Landscapes created by humans for humans.
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Neglected by society, the velodrome, one of these later landscapes, starts to show signs of decay. Unable to perform its main task, its purpose is uncertain and the previous human interventions are questioned.
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But what if, with an ever-growing population, Charleroi - fourth biggest city of Belgium - experiences a second wave of expansion wave? The old plans to create a metropolitan city can be revisited. Free spaces are limited and the overall density rises.
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While population levels rise, so does the degree of decay. Now fully overgrown, the roots of bushes and trees have crumbled the velodrome’s concrete floor, allowing trees to reach a noticeable size. Little by little, new natural habitats are formed within the velodrome itself. As population growth exhausts the available space, Charleroi has become the metropole that was once imagined and is in desperate need for building surface. The terril, this landscape which is above all man-made, it can surely be rebuilt, can’t it?
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Eventually, the city slowly reconquers the terril and the habitats get disturbed. Questions of preservation arise. The velodrome, this man-made object, proves to be a safe haven. Its clear boundaries allow for control and regulations. Old plans become interesting again: building a dome-like structure covering the entirety of the velodrome. Possibly, the velodrome becomes a new botanical garden, raising awareness on the layered history that shaped this site. Once an intruder, the velodrome now becomes the last piece of this wild landscape. A stand, now not only dedicated to the spectacle of man but also to the evergrowing spectacle of nature.
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It is not difficult to imagine a future where the velodrome further deteriorates and nature slowly takes over once again. But since this process is relatively slow and the terrils are gaining popularity, perhaps the site could use a kickstart. Instead of once again letting a major human intervention cause a large footprint, there could be an intervention on a smaller scale, or a series of them. Such small scale interventions would be directed at helping nature reclaim its place. By doing so, the site will gain attention, raising awareness for its rich history. The velodrome is a great setting for such an intervention. With clear boundaries, it is easy to imagine some kind of enclosure around it. Entrance could be controlled through the underground passage or through the stand. It could become a place where people reconnect with nature, as well as a place for education and preservation. Whether this is in the form of a wildly grown chunk of forest or a planned botanical garden has yet to be determined.
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This reference shows nature that slowly reclaims a forgotten velodrome. Natural elements get projected on an unnatural landscape, which causes intriguing atmospheres.
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PROPOSAL FOR THE PRESENT This site, this collection of human interventions, footprints in a seemingly natural environment, how could I intervene in a way that does not cause any further fragmentation? The oversize aspect of the site gives it an overall feel of emptiness. With mostly temporary activities, these infrastructures often remain unused. It seems almost selfish to claim such surfaces for such erratic uses. That is why I decided that here, my proposal as an architect is to design for nature. Since the terrils are considered as the citiy’s green lungs, designing for nature also means designing for man. What at first felt like a simplistic idea became more interesting over time. The planting of trees. First, with the thought that it would be more appropriate to not intervene at all and to let nature do its work, I imagined wild growth like the one on the terril to spread over the entire site. However, a kickstart might not be so bad after all. Planting trees in a regular pattern is an intervention which is both human and natural, a joint effort. It builds not only a metaphorical transition between the large man-made footprints and the wild terril, but also a physical one. By acting on leftover areas, defined by the history of interventions or in some cases by the lack of activity, the density of the site can be increased. In doing so, a new identity is created. Or rather, an aspect of the pre-existing identity becomes very prominent over the entire site.
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These leftover areas can be found all over the site. Four large ones are easily identified, though smaller corners filled in by more informal activities are also spread everywhere. Two spaces located between human footprints or between a human footprint and nature, seem to lack any purpose. Tracks created by hikers and bikers on the terril have caused an area of lesse density on the top. The velodrome, large man-made object, in its state of decay, and unable to perform its nominal task, has become a leftover area as well. It is as much of a landscape waiting for an intervention as the rest.
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First attempt of a regular pattern of trees. It lacks density and the smaller leftover a and training grounds for mountain bikers could also be considered in this interve 38
areas are now the ones sticking out. These informal activities, such as hiking trails ention without being hindered. 39
A denser pattern, spread wherever possible. Suddenly the feel of the site shifts c existing footprints are highlighted. The human aspect of the grid gives it a sense feel more like an accident. Interesting contact points arise where wild nature mee 40
completely. The natural aspect becomes the main character. The outlines of the e of purpose, whereas wildly grown nature such as previously on the terril would ets planted nature and at the strict limits of the original footprints. 41
In time, these borders will grow more vague. New informal actions may happen i character of this kickstart intervention, though, will remain very noticeable. 42
in the planted grid and wild growth will occur, creating irregularities. The human
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Existing situation. Sections through leftover areas in relation to the terril. The overall feel of emptiness and lack of density are obvious.
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The identity of the terril is expanded over the entire site. A new consistent density arises. The original footprints become areas of interest in this new uniformized landscape. The smaller informal uses can still happen in between this new grid of trees. 47
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The velodrome is also set to evolve over time. Eventually, as the trees grow, so do their roots, and as the concrete floor further crumbles, the developing cracks make it possible for new vegetation to grow independently of the original grid. The large stand gets a new purpose. Spectators do not come to admire the speed of racers, but are now overlooking the process of nature that slowly reclaims its place in the city. 49
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CONCLUSION Starting from an interest in how such a strange site as the Terril des VallÊes came into existence, an urge to not intervene at all arose. This, due to the many previous interventions which shaped the site to what it has become now: a collection of large-scale footprints at the foot of a green hill. Although large in size, these footprints are not necessarily oversized. The oversized aspect of the site comes mostly from the leftover areas created by these footprints, where an overall feeling of emptiness dominates. This made me wonder what kind of intervention would be possible, that without causing another footprint, creates a stronger identity for this site. At first, thinking that the planting of trees would not be true to the site’s layered history, the idea was to not intervene at all and let nature do its work. Though, a kickstart might be needed. In time, the planting of trees became more interesting. A tree will always be seen as natural. A collection of trees, planted following a strict grid, is thus both a human and natural intervention. In doing so, a new identity enhancing the one of the terril is created and a certain density is achieved over the site. Footprints which before had no interaction whatsoever are now connected through this intervention. It forms both the metaphorical and the physical transition between the man-made interventions and the wildly grown nature of the terril. A border set to dilute over time.
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GENERAL REFLECTION During the analyses of the three sites, there was always one specific characteristic, unique to a site, which intrigued me the most. The stair-like spatial qualities inside the bank, the tension between the large footprints and the terril, and the (in)expressive character of the brutalist faรงade of the university. It was then interesting for me to see how these aspects related themselves to the overarching theme of oversize. During the design processes, sometimes a certain disconnect occurred between the intervention and the actual site. This, for example, due to the abstraction of the intricate buildings for a better understanding during the first analyses. Though, I realised that it is through a more accurate interaction with the existing situation that the proposals became more interesting. For the bank, this meant that the more detailed the section became, the more the intervention flourished. The terril, first a collection of historic facts and a more symbolic mindset, turned into something that could become a real project by the creation of plans and sections. For the university, it was the reconstruction of the front faรงade which sparked a new admiration for the existing faรงade and pushed me to focus on the way this interacts with the new intervention. Overall, I could say that I am pleased with the process, as each of the sites, with their specific aspects, called for different approaches and styles. This kept the process refreshing and is also the reason why I decided to continue working on all three sites.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY https://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/onpdp/enquetes/detail_exclusif-pigeons-le-classement-des-pires-terrains-de-sport-francophones-clap-de-fin?id=9277009 https://www.sudinfo.be/art/1383336/article/2015-09-25/gilly-le-velodrome-interesse-la-federation-de-cyclisme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oTOb0DMTeM http://carto1.wallonie.be/documents/terrils2018/fiche2018_terril.idc?Id=919 http://carto1.wallonie.be/documents/terrils/fiche_terril.idc?TERRIL_id=503 https://cargocollective.com/giovannibellotti/The-Wild-City https://www.dhnet.be/regions/charleroi/les-terrils-poumons-du-nouveau-pays-noir59e9099acd7095e2f705e5d9 https://www.lesoir.be/art/un-morceau-de-tribune-du-stade-pour-le-velodrome-degil_t-20000616-Z0JC8X.html http://www.hainauttourisme.be/nl/content/d%C3%A9couverte-des-terrils-de-charleroi
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OVERSIZE CHARLEROI - Terril des Vallées Sébastien Ronchetti