This summer, Marie Jansonplein in Saint-Gilles was reopened to the public. The redevelopment, carried out by vvv and StudioPaolaViganò, came about after the Toestand collective had been active on the square for some time. Both the redevelopment and the temporary occupation are part of the sustainable neighbourhood contract Voorplein-Morichar, which has been streamlining the transformation of Saint-Gilles since 2015. To understand this square, it is best to try to understand its use.

On the corner of the renovated Marie Jansonplein, we see a man with a cap, a tight undershirt and well-trained biceps. Concentrated, he begins a series of pull-ups. A girl on the swing watches and giggles. A bodybuilder in the playground… it is a strangely comical encounter between two users who coexist side by side. The scene is moving, like a drawing by Sempé, true to life and taken from real life. Seriousness also reigns on the football pitch. A diverse group of teenagers are playing the World Cup final between England and Spain. Against the fence around the dog park, two people share a bench. They are engaged in an animated conversation that neither the playing Argentine dogs nor the children on the other side manage to disturb. A little further on, someone is taking a nap on the grass while cyclists whizz by on the cycle path a few metres away. Like Brussels itself, this square is a bizarre collage of contrasts.