In Wonderwoud (“Wonder Wood”), a nature reserve in the making near Ghent, there’s a new observation tower. Using very few formal means, URA directs our gaze towards a world that doesn’t belong to us. Should people even come here?

The Wonderwoud, located on the border between Ghent and Lochristi, does not really look like a nature reserve yet. There’s strips of asphalt, barracks and fences. There’s even a cemetery. The area once served as an execution site. Later, in the 1960s, it was to become an airport. The shape of the area – two intersecting runways – still bears witness to those plans. From the 1970s onwards, sand was extracted here. Hills and deep pools appeared. Unintentionally, humans had drawn the blueprint for a beautiful nature reserve.