Walking Madou is a temporary pedestrianization project developed under urgent conditions, conceived as a full-scale experiment for a future permanent scheme designed by the firm Grontmij.
Working with a very limited budget and a tight timeframe, the intervention reimagined the street as a test ground for new urban uses and forms of appropriation. Commissioned by the architecture office Suède 36, we were invited to design an artistic installation that would encourage movement, activate public life, and create a cohesive identity across the different zones of the site.
The project unfolded as a playful and resourceful urban landscape: reclaimed cars painted and planted with shrubs, air tubes animated by the wind around Madou Tower, street fitness elements, planters, clusters of bollards, and salvaged chairs anchored to the ground, all unified by a bold yellow treatment. This striking visual language transformed the site into a vibrant, flexible stage for everyday activities and spontaneous events.
Our proposal draws on the codes of temporary road signage, extending them to the scale of public space. By covering the ground in yellow, we created a strong, legible identity while structuring the pedestrian experience. Large monochrome surfaces define and sequence key areas : the wind square, fitness garden, terrace, and information point, while zigzag lines subtly guide movement and invite exploration.
Through minimal means and maximal visibility, Walking Madou demonstrates how temporary design can catalyze new urban dynamics and reveal the potential of pedestrian space.
This project was awarded the ]pyblik[ Prize in 2014, recognizing the best public space in Brussels.
