Hill Squares Gets Much Needed Makeover, Spinning it in to the 21st Century

By Land8: Landscape Architects Network on August 6, 2015 No Comments / 4132 views

Hill Square, by Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture, Tilburg, The Netherlands. Tilburg is a thriving Dutch city with an extremely diverse population, including almost one-quarter of foreign descent, as well as being home to many students. Historically speaking, the Hill has long been one of the most important public squares in the city, serving as a landmark and gathering area for locals. However, over the years, the square has been slowly becoming less and less relevant, as a rapidly changing population dynamic has transformed the needs of residents. Ultimately, this diverse and evolving community needed a new space, one that still offered the functions of a traditional public square, but which also could address some new needs.

Masterplan of the Hill Square. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

Hill Square

A Refreshing Change: The Oasis in the City

Dutch Landscape Architecture firm Buro Sant en Co was chosen by means of a design competition that called for proposals to bring Hill Square into the 21st century. The first round of the competition involved selection by a professional jury, then from among these nominees, locals were invited to vote for their favorite design.

The Main Goal

The firm’s goal was to maintain and preserve the city’s heritage by restoring the square to its former glory, while also creating a modern and memorable new space. Buro Sant en Co envisioned the primary functions of the design as relaxation and community — in the designers’ own words, “an urban oasis.”

Visualization of the Hill Square. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

Simple But Elegant Design Solution

Buro Sant en Co’s design solution is simple but elegant. Lined with lime trees, the square is open and airy. At the square’s center, a simple platform that seems to almost float just above street level functions as a stage and venue for local events and festivals. The edge of this platform also doubles as seating for a street-side view.

Who’s Taking Advantage of the New Space?

The space is also being taken advantage of by local businesses such as restaurants, which make the most of the space during the summer months by setting out tables and umbrellas to create patio seating for customers.

Umbrellas out at Hill Sqaure. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

The Grass Strips

Alternating strips of multicolored basalt and grass create a lasting visual impression. In the summer, the grass is watered by sprayers that also provide a cooling effect and create ambient sound, making the space more inviting to visitors.

Hill Square. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

The Feeling of an Urban Oasis

Water jets also animate the space, inviting children and adults alike to play and contributing to the feeling of an urban oasis. Small details in materials and furnishings also add special character to the site. For example, the drainage includes custom grates with a beautiful leaf design.

The drainage includes custom grates with a beautiful leaf design. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

From Day to Night

The site is usable 24 hours a day, and its transition from day to night is striking. Lighting was an especially important consideration in the square’s new design. Knowing that the square is in the city’s downtown and at the center of local nightlife, it was essential to make the space not only safe and secure to passers-through, but to create a lively and inviting nighttime atmosphere. When the sun goes down, the jets of water that act as a playground by day are lit up, turning them into dancing beams of light. Moving and changing constantly, the jets create a playful evening atmosphere. From underneath the stage area, recessed lighting illuminates the platform, adding to the illusion of its floating.

Hill Sqaure. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

But Is It a Green Oasis?

Buro Sant en Co describes its vision as a green oasis in the city. But there are only a few trees and some strips of turf on the site — hardly a green oasis. While the stage is slightly elevated above street level, without many trees, there is little else to provide some much needed vertical interest. From close enough, the contrast between the strips of paving and turf certainly adds dynamism, but ultimately the square is pretty flat. Without any people in it, there is hardly anything to animate the space from a distance.

Hill Sqaure. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

The water jets do somewhat address this problem, adding sound and movement to the space and inviting play on sunny days. In the winter, however, when these jets aren’t running, one may find the site to feel quite empty and underwhelming.

Oasis in the Summer, Desert in the Winter

In fact, the site seems to work very well in the summer months, but how does it work in the winter? While the design indeed addresses the day-to-night transition elegantly, it in unclear how the space will successfully transition from the hot summer months to the wintertime. Without summer events and water features animating the space, the site may spend a large part of the winter months empty. It will be interesting to see how this urban oasis is adapted to the colder months.

Hill Sqaure. Image courtesy of Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture

A Breath of Fresh Air

Despite it shortcomings, the design for Hill Square is a much needed breath of fresh air for the city. The firm set out to create a space that could host summer events, as well as encourage relaxation. From an aesthetic point of view, the new square is quite striking, and with its interplay among green space, light, and water, Hill Square certainly feels like a summer oasis in the city. The problem of transitioning public space programming through the different seasons is a common one for designers. What are some projects where this transition has been executed masterfully, and why are they so successful?

Full Project Credits for Hill Square

Project Name: Hill Square Location: The Hill, Tilburg, Netherlands Designers: Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture Size: 3 Hectares Date of Construction: 2009 Client: Municipality of Tilburg Show on Google Maps