Masterplanning
Integrated masterplan for Salyx-site
The Salyx site in Vilvoorde-Machelen was redeveloped from an industrial brownfield site into a sustainable and future-oriented urban district. Sweco developed an integrated master plan, incorporating design, technology, and stakeholder coordination.
- Client
- Abies One NV
- Location
- Vilvoorde – Machelen
- Expertise
- Masterplan, integrated area development
- Partners
- POLO architecten
From industrial wasteland to a future-oriented urban district
Following the closure of the Renault factory in 1997, the Salyx site remained for many years a heavily contaminated and undefined area on the border between Vilvoorde and Machelen. Despite its strategic location in Brussels’ northern fringe, redevelopment was stalled for decades due to complex stakeholder interests and governance frameworks. Sweco took on an active role in unlocking the potential of this key site, providing renewed perspective and steering the process towards a sustainable and broadly supported long-term vision.
Site map fixture plan
The fixture plan as a driver for consensus and direction
Through intensive research-by-design, workshops and consultation rounds, a clear and shared spatial framework was gradually developed. The fixture plan defined the fundamental principles for mobility, the green-blue network, landscape identity and programmatic structure. This process successfully aligned diverse stakeholder positions and built trust in a common development framework, which was formally approved at the end of 2023.
3D Axo Salyx site
An integrated masterplan with strong technical depth
In a second phase, the armature plan was translated into a fully developed masterplan and detailed design plans for public spaces and development plots. Technical preliminary studies on water management, energy, soil, ecology and mobility were fully integrated and used as structuring design tools. The result is a coherent and implementable urban concept in which design quality and technical feasibility reinforce one another.
Landscape and urban plateaus as spatial carriers
The masterplan is based on a layered reading of the landscape, with wet stream valleys forming the ecological backbone, urban plateaus accommodating housing, employment and amenities, and linear infrastructures ensuring sustainable accessibility. Through a well-considered mix of functions and strong public spaces, the Salyx site evolves into a vibrant, legible and future-proof urban district, firmly embedded within its wider landscape context.
all images ©Sweco & POLO architecten
Station square
Terrain section Trawool-Oost