There is no better litmus test for a new public space than a visit on a sun-drenched Saturday afternoon during a pandemic. Brut architecture and urban design and Lama landscape architects designed Herentals’ future-proof city park before there was any talk of lockdowns or heightened climate awareness.

From the shopping street, which feels somewhat eerie due to the coronavirus measures, an arrow proudly points towards the city park in the middle of the block. Social bubbles are relaxing here and there on the temporary furniture on the south side of the inner area. The skate park on Belgiëlaan is buzzing with youthful laughter. Parents keep an eye on things from a bench in the park. Cyclists and pedestrians make their way past sections of old garden walls. Large trees bear witness to the historic city park, which came into the city’s possession in the 1970s when the castle estate with its romantic garden was sold. The rest of the estate was then subdivided. To this day, the rear of private developments borders the current park.