Following “Les Jardins d’Elise”, the Municipality of Ixelles is launching a new design competition within the same block, as part of the urban requalification process led by the Sustainable Neighbourhood Contract Petite Suisse.
The project focuses on the “Plaine de la Petite Suisse”, a hidden garden at the heart of the block, well loved by local residents. The site includes play and sports areas, a local facility called “La Rotonde”, and the Documentation and Information Centre (CDI) of one of the neighbouring schools.

The redevelopment of the playground involves targeted interventions to meet two main objectives. First, to improve the site’s accessibility, coherence, comfort, and intensity of use, making it a welcoming public space for a wide range of users. Second, to enhance its landscape qualities in order to promote biodiversity and increase the site’s climate resilience. The recent acquisition of an adjacent plot by the Municipality offers an opportunity to expand the area of natural spaces accessible to the public.

The Rotonde building will be renovated and extended to accommodate a flexible public facility with multiple functions linked to youth activities and site management. It should be highly adaptable and designed to encourage shared use of spaces.
Finally, the CDI, currently housed in a prefabricated structure, is expected to be rebuilt as a permanent facility with direct access to the playground, as part of a conditional part of the contract.

The Municipality of Ixelles aims to design the project in line with the principles of “Climate Responsive Design”, optimising the sustainable energy potential of the built and natural surroundings, while meeting the requirements of the GRO sustainability and energy performance framework.

To deliver this project, the contracting authority is seeking a multidisciplinary team with expertise in architecture, public space design, structural engineering, building services and energy performance (EPB).