Grey parking lot in Waubach changes into a lively square

For years, parked cars dominated the Charles Frehenstraat in Waubach. The market square, or rather, the parking lot on the Charles Frehenstraat near the Kerkstraat has been tackled. It has been transformed into a lively village square with opportunities for terraces and events.

Client: Municipality of Landsgraaf & Wegenbouw Kurvers
Landscape architect: Bureau VERBEEK
Location: Waubach

A lively square with many possibilities

Waubach is a small village center in the larger municipality of Landgraaf in Limburg. With only a modest 3,000 inhabitants, the village has a close-knit community, but a lively village square was lacking until now. But that has changed in the past year.

There had to be room for terraces for the catering establishments located along the square. In addition, the Oude Markt had to be 'event-proof'. This means that the square also had to be able to be used for events, should that be necessary. The residents of Waubach were invited to think along with the municipality of Landgraaf and agency VERBEEK landscape architecture/ecology/urban design about the design of the square. Studio-VR made the 3D render.

Grijsen was also involved in the realization of this dynamic location. Grijsen supplied various components for this project, including bicycle racks, the bridge over the wadi, and no fewer than nine-stage elements.

An extensive moveable stage

The nine-stage elements are mobile and can therefore be moved at any time. The different building blocks can function separately as seating elements. If necessary, it is also possible to assemble the stages as puzzle pieces to one large stage. The platform then has a surface area of about 64 square meters. The chassis is made of hot-dip galvanized steel. This protects the steel from corrosion and rust.
The visible elements are also provided with a two-layer powder coating. This has two advantages: the material is protected even better and it can be powder coated in any RAL color of choice. The municipality of Landgraaf chose RAL-7024, a beautiful dark graphite grey color.

A beautiful bridge over the wadi.

The square also features a wadi. This wadi refers to a drinking pool that was once present at this same spot. Over this wadi lies a bridge made entirely of wood, which Grijsen produced. The bridge is nine meters long. Logically, the residents of Waubach can move across this bridge on foot or by bicycle. The bridge and the wadi break up the pavement with water and plants.

Use of sustainable wood

In both components of this outdoor space, 100% FSC-certified hardwood has been used. This means that the wood has been harvested sustainably. In addition, the wood has not been treated. This is due to the high durability characteristics of the wood. The wood is classified in the highest durability class, which means a long life span of the wood. In theory, the heartwood of the bridge and the podiums should last at least 20 years in its current form.

Cars make way for cyclists in Waubach

Now that the cars on the square have had to make way, there is ample opportunity for cyclists to cycle on and over the square. The square will, among other things, function as a catering plaza. The number of cyclists, and therefore of bicycles, will therefore increase significantly at this location. To anticipate this, Grijsen has supplied various wooden elements as well as beautiful bicycle racks. The municipality of Landgraaf chose our Rondo bicycle rack. These brackets have a special appearance. On the one hand, the curves create a soft look, while on the other hand, the pointed corners of the bracket provide a tight look. Exceptional, but very beautiful. In total 19 bicycle brackets have been placed in the direct vicinity of the square.