The place where everyone will really want to be seen

Another angle of the square thus revised and corrected: will this be enough to restore it to its former appeal? © rv

It is a big change which will take place for the inhabitants and the unconditional ones of Knokke: the renovation works of the iconic Place Albert, flush with the dike, will begin on Monday. It is more than a simple redevelopment, with a large underground car park and the construction of a glittering glass pavilion. More than ever, the “Place M'as-tu vu” wants to be worthy of its nickname.

Knokke-Heist was eager to breathe new life into its place Albert, with a slightly dated look to which regulars are beginning to prefer the Place Rubens or the beach bars. The municipal council therefore launched a call for projects in 2017 with one ambition: to give back its panache to the famous “Place M'as-tu vu” and to remake it the nerve center of the upscale seaside resort. “We are not only carrying out high-quality architectural redevelopment on the surface, we are also optimizing unused underground space by building a new private parking lot for residents and adjacent streets which are currently camping with a shortage of places. Added value on several levels ”, summarizes Johan Geeroms, Managing Director at PSR, the project development department of the Jan De Nul group. 

Beautiful season 2023

The new place should be completely ready, unless work is delayed, in spring 2023. The first phase of the work is devoted to creating a new independent drain and new power lines. It should last two months. Then the excavation and construction of the underground car park can begin. As for the sale of the 150 future private parking boxes, it already started last August. 

“In anticipation of the start of work, the project teams and contractors worked together with the City to minimize future traffic disruptions and inconvenience to residents while securing the area during the various phases of the project”, reassures the mayor of Knokke, Leopold Lippens. “And this both in terms of safety and accessibility: from the parking lot to traffic in and around the site. The work area will be completely closed, with the exception of a three-meter wide strip in front of the facades. In this way, the possible passage of firefighters is guaranteed ”, he specifies to respond to the concerns of the neighborhood at the dawn of work which will last more than two years. From October 12, parking around the square will therefore be prohibited. 

150 parking spaces

The new “Place M'as-tu vu” will therefore allow customers from the catering industry, shops and neighboring buildings to park their cars in peace and - unfortunately for some perhaps - out of sight thanks to the 150 new places available (but privatized). 

On the surface, Place Albert will take on a whole new look, more modern and airy, thanks to the modeling imagined by the architectural firm Philippe Samyn and Partners. The most eye-catching element will be the half-sphere-shaped glass pavilion in the center of the square. It will be surrounded by water. The redesigned public space will offer a leisure area and of course an area reserved for the catering industry, all on a floor with playful black and white patterns. 

“This very high-quality construction and urban redevelopment project is particularly close to our hearts. It gives us the opportunity to contribute to the revitalization of this unique place in Knokke ”, explains Luc Goethals, who heads the work carried out by his company Goethals Promotor. 

But this is not the only project underway on this square which forms the junction between the main commercial artery of the station and the dike. Real estate developer Bart Versluys is currently building the “One Carlton” there, a luxurious project that is supposed to give the currently shabby place another boost.