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The Stationsstraat is the main shopping street in thecentre of Sint-Niklaas and is the central axis between the Grote Markt and thetrain station. The profile, use of materials and the present green areas of theold site puts the focus on the traffic situation in disadvantage of the qualityof life. The big variations in materials in contrast to a heterogeneouspatrimony results in a busy and fragmented image. This called for a redesign.From street to square The vision for the revaluation focused on theStationsstraat as bearer and backbone of the shopping area. The street, 600mlong and 14m wide, was designed as green, urban shopping promenade. Its profilewas completely redrawn with levelled square construction from fa?ade to fa?adefor maximum quality of life. The paving is an uneven mixture of 4 shades ofgranite which was selected carefully in combination with bluestone accents. Thefocus is on the use, comfort and a powerful image perception by the user. Traffic situation The Stationsstraat was redesigned as a car-free zonetailored to the pedestrian and cyclist. The direction of travel from the GroteMarkt to the Stationsplein was maintained. Motorised vehicles are directed in asafe and subtle way. Cyclists can cycle in both directions: in the direction oftravel as mixed traffic or against the direction of travel on a clearlyindicated bicycle lane. This bicycle lane will be linked with the widepedestrian zone. By providing a few automatic bollards, the flexibilityof making this street partial or completely car-free is guaranteed. The functional lane A complex range of requirements, above-ground as wellas underground, were distilled to what seemed a very simple design. A virtuallycentral functional lane contains the parking zone, the loading and unloadingzone, green areas, space for existing and new terraces, street furniture, etc.and is the thread through this redesign. Three water features are incorporatedin this lane, including one mirror fountain at the level of the Salons of FineArts. Quality green areas By placing the utility lines with care, enough spacewas created for planting trees. This underground space including substrates wasprovided with the necessary ventilation, irrigation and drainage for optimalgrowth conditions. An assortment of multi-stemmed, large-sized trees wascarefully compiled in close consultation with the greenery department of thecity, Daniel Ost (florist) and Kristof Swinnen (landscaper), both originatingfrom Sint-Niklaas. The selection was made based on various aspects: wintergreen, blossom, leaf shape, autumn colouring, decorative bark, etc. Beside the trees, some sculptured solid Buxuses weremade which not only give a strong image, but also guarantee the continuity ofgreen in winter. Lighting The functional lighting gives enough light andprovides a sense of security. Moreover, decorative lighting gives the neededatmosphere. This was subtly integrated into a few benches, the terraces and thethree water features. The lighting also shows off the quality of the publicspace both during evenings and nights.
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