Looking to the urban fabric of Brussels we can observe that it is made
of overlapping historical layers, from the past till present the city suffer
transformation by demolishing and adding new construction for economic
reasons including the migrant’s movement in a large scale. The changes are
visible today if you walk by the street you can see new buildings attached
to the old ones, so we can see the city communicates the fact that is in a
continuous transformation.
The same goes for the Matonge and EU quarter, they have undergone
so many changes during the past decade that today, they have obtained
completely new characteristics. There’s an invisible crack between the two
districts, an unseen border caused by the gentrification in Matonge and
Brusselization of the EU quarter. However the magic of the history can still
be seen in some parts, like the galleries, resonating the duality of the district,
the past and present, reality and illusion.
This project aims to recreate an urban intervention that can contribute
to the duality in place. Help integrate the new haphazard urban context
among people in the districts while raising awareness and interaction between
the residents of the two districts.
Going deeper in the definitions of the Radicant and rituals, its combination
with the information obtained from the district and with our own interpretation
of Migration, built the foundation of the project.
The Radicant means constant change and movement, however, it bears
the notion of having a essence and rooting, forming the individual journey
and experience in each movement. Having the root in motion, means taking
something from the ground and leaving something behind, which is the
exact definition of migration. Rituals are one of those things that you both
leave behind and bring with yourself.
With these in mind, the project formed around the basic but important concept
of transition and movement and the self-consciousness and awareness
of surrounding that rise with this journey.
The project is going to form a modern ritual, one that cleanse the soul of
the individual by a new unknown experience, playing with the border of reality
and illusion, reflecting the inner-self.