Ruining the Ruinous Ruin

The QL is a ruin made of empty offices, deserted public spaces, obsolete technologies, but also recent buildings seen by speculators as ruins in the making. Ruins without eternity, without the romanticism of the ancient. Ruins that are both ruinous and ruining in light of today's environmental challenges. Dismantling means reclaiming its "negative commons," listing them, consolidating them, caring for them, learning to "live in the ruins of capitalism." (Anna L. Tsing, 2015. "The Mushroom at the End of the World" ) Can ruin generate the ecosystem of the city of tomorrow?

The project explores ruin as a tool for urban transformation, drawing on Alexandre Monnin’s concept of the “good ruin.” Unlike the ruinous ruin which through its productivity, negatively impacts the environment and society, and the ruined ruin a mere unproductive remnant, the good ruin is envisioned as a transitional space open to reappropriation. The analysis of the Quartier Léopold in Brussels highlights major issues: impermeable soils, poor water management, and vacant spaces. This sensitive approach allows for the development of long-term strategies that negotiate the ruinous nature of the district. The first axis of analysis focuses on the district’s soils. Through an urban archaeology approach and experiments on soil fertility, we have been able to inventory and map the different types of soils found in parks and beneath the pavement. The interventions rely on the selective dismantling of façades and pavement to implement a system for collecting and redistributing rainwater. This system, composed of a network of swales and aqueducts made from repurposed materials, enhances water management, enables controlled material degradation, and fosters the emergence of evolving landscapes. The project unfolds over an extended timeline through three phases: T0 (current state), T1 (initial interventions), and T2 (in 50 years). These explorations and iterations now allow us to anchor the project in a long-term perspective using degradation as a design tool. The goal is to transition from a gridded, monotonous city to an ecosystem shaped by an evolving landscape, welcoming otherness,blurring boundaries,and creating three-dimensional public spaces. A territory of friction between permanence and obsolescence, where soil transformation and water circulation redefine urban uses.