Het Openbare Ruimte Plein

Commissioned by
Het Plein/Vakbeurs Openbare Ruimte
Surface area
24x9m
In cooperation with
SmitsRinsma, De Enk Groen&Golf, Rots Maatwerk
Design
2022
Completion
2022

Het Plein is the central meeting space at the Vakbeurs Openbare Ruimte in the Jaarbeurs. Every year, a different designer is asked to design Het Plein. For the 2022 edition, that honour fell to Marseille Buiten.

We essentially filled in the surface with the most anonymous and common paving material: the 30×30 concrete tile. With this material, we have designed squares and playgrounds for decades, but with today's climate problems, these paved squares obviously no longer suffice. The challenge we face as a profession is reflected in the arch. A layer of water on the lowest part symbolises today's drainage problems. The bulge breaks open at the other end, and tiles float out of the floor above a green garden. This indicates that we have a challenge on our hands and that we need greenery for biodiversity, drainage and cooling. All tiles have been reused and will also flow back to the market after the Vakbeurs.

In one image, the current themes of our profession are displayed. The Square is walkable, allowing people to sit down with a cup of coffee or a sandwich, or standing on the bulge to have an overview of the expo.