City of Brussels has a permit for marsupilami square in laken
The roundabout in the heart of the district between Houba, Heysel and Sobieski will undergo a metamorphosis. The was issued by URBAN this week and turns the grey, functional roundabout into a real neighborhood square. Works will start in March 2022. Following a call for naming launched by the City last summer, the square will be renamed Marsupilami Square.
A new square
Today the roundabout looks gray and lacks application and identity. The furnishing of this room dates from another time and leaves a possible unused. The available space will be in the future. It will be replaced by a square at ground level with lots of color, city furniture, a play zone, a bicycle repair station, a water fountain, and varied greening to boost biodiversity.
To create the feeling of one space, only one is used. The square, the street and the sidewalk are laid out in different sizes and with alternating joints. The play area on it will be laid out in a red rubber, suitable for absorbing falls and shocks.
Species that boost biodiversity and flower all year round have been chosen for planting. The existing trees will all be preserved and 13 new trees will be added, including 4 fruit trees.
Marsupilami
With the name for the new square, the City received no fewer than 45 proposals. A selection of three names was repeated to the Lakers. Until October 15, 2021 it was possible to vote for a new name. With 164 votes, Marsupilamiplein was the clear winner.
Reper-Vreven square is hidden behind Houba de Strooperlaan. Legend has it that Andr Franquin coined the Marsupilami’s usual call of ‘Hoeba hoeba’ the moment he crossed the avenue. A memento of this legend can be found in the Marsupilami Mural, found at the police station at the intersection of the Reper-Vreven with the Houba de Strooperlaan.
Marsupilamiplein is the heart of a quiet, friendly residential area and is surrounded by five schools. It was therefore the basis for us to be able to create a square tailored to children: a place where they can play and cycle safely, where they can pick fruit and experience the seasons. That playful element is also reflected in the name that the local residents choose for the square.
Next steps
The works will start in mid-March 2022 and will take 80 working days. Local residents will be pre-trained about the start and different phases of the yard.
In the context of the School Districts project of Alderman responsible for Mobility Bart Dhondt, the circulation in the district will also be tackled in the coming months. On January 26, the circulation measures will be presented to the local residents, they will receive an invitation in their mailbox.