LionCity reimagines the former Delhaize site in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, transforming an old industrial enclave into an open, vibrant, and climate-resilient urban district.
Where logistics and distribution once dominated, a versatile 15-minute city now emerges—a place where living, working, leisure, shopping, and play converge on a human scale.
The urban design breaks open the old walls and emphasizes connection. New squares, passages, and a mobility hub make the district accessible and weave it into the surrounding neighborhoods. The site evolves from a monofunctional zone into a multipolar district with multiple meeting places: a green neighborhood square, a welcoming area around the site’s heritage, and a productive quay that acts as a driver for urban employment.
The architecture reinforces this fine-grained urban fabric. Large industrial buildings with closed façades give way to compact building blocks with diverse typologies: through-apartments, courtyard housing, affordable units, and mixed-use buildings where living and working coexist. Everything is designed with particular attention to the human scale, especially at ground level. Productive workshops, a neighborhood café, and local shops activate the street level and enhance the vibrancy of the district.
By organizing the workshops in a cross-shaped layout, circulation transcends a purely logistical approach. In addition to loading and unloading areas, the inner street also accommodates meeting places, exhibition spaces, and a covered market. By linking this inner street to the surrounding public spaces, the productive heart of the project becomes tangible.
Respect for Delhaize’s history is also essential. The main building, the glass canopy, and symbolic elements such as the statue of Jules Delhaize are preserved and integrated, ensuring the collective memory remains visible. Here, architecture becomes a tool to connect heritage with renewal, while providing room for flexibility and future-proof adaptation.
Finally, the landscape forms the green backbone of LionCity. The entire district is enveloped by a neighborhood park that ties into Molenbeek’s existing green networks. Courtyards, squares, green corridors, and rooftop gardens together create a layered landscape that combines water management, biodiversity, and urban agriculture. The result is a living landscape that grows with the district and contributes to a healthy living environment.
In this way, the former industrial site once again becomes the beating heart of Molenbeek—a place where heritage, innovation, and nature reinforce one another.
