The masterplan uses the basic quality of the site – to shortcut from periphery to center- and turns it into an urban experience. A new and large square, occupying most of the 3.5ha site, turns the former military site into an urban foyer on the scale of the city center. The size of the square allows it to be used for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the transfer between both easy and generous. Two new connections open up the surrounding city fabric and create continuity between the new city part and the existing city center.
The development of the site, apart from its role as urban foyer, comprises housing, retail and underground parking facilities. An existing Beaux-Arts theatre is extended to upgrade its facilities, while the former military horse riding barracks are transformed into a reception hall. Alongside it, a new cinema will be developed. This mix of old and new, of culture and leisure at the center of the site clearly defines the public character of this ambitious inner city development.