Today, The Loop is primarily a highway location, as a link between the E40 and the R4. The buildings are fragmented and the outdoor space is not very attractive as a place to stay. However, Sogent, the City of Ghent and Banimmo want to develop the district into a lively city district.
A district where, besides large offices, shops and events, there is also room for other functions such as housing, various types of trade and recreation. The district will have a new structure with more greenery and space for water.
Buildings will be concentrated on a few fields, making way for greenery and water on others. The district will also have several parks.
As a follow-up to the ‘Ambitienota’ that followed the MasterClass led by Alexander D'Hooghe in 2020, work continued in cooperation with the City of Ghent on the further development of the entire site.
This is done on 3 parallel time tracks, namely temporary infill, developments within the existing 'RUP’ and finally a new long-term master plan. In this context, a design and image quality plan for a mixed development of almost 80,000 m2 of floor space on Veld12 Oost, the area between IKEA and Flanders Expo, was developed. The drafting of this plan was entrusted to a multidisciplinary team consisting of XDGA and SWECO.
The City of Ghent appointed Plus Office to draw up a master plan for the western part of The Loop in preparation for a new 'RUP’.
