Water access gate Bergerven Maaseik
Water access gate Bergerven Maaseik
The Bergerven landscape project creates a new blue-green structure in the heart of Neeroeteren. With a network of paths, ecological connections, and water-based experiences, the master plan links the historic village center to the Hoge Kempen National Park. The new bridge over the Zuid-Willems Canal, starting from the small island in the canal, serves as the finishing touch of this ambitious intervention and becomes a new gateway to the National Park.
The Bergerven project area stretches from the center of Neeroeteren to the Zuid-Willems Canal, where a new crossing toward the Kempen plateau connects to the Hoge Kempen National Park. The project was approached as a single integrated landscape plan, where water, ecology, recreation, and mobility come together in a coherent spatial narrative.
A central element of the master plan is the blue-green ribbon that links the various zones. The ribbon follows the natural structure of the landscape and creates a slow-paced network for walkers and cyclists. In the recreational area, a fully accessible experiential path was designed that crosses the habitat of the tree frog. The path network was conceived so that recreation, mobility, nature experience, and ecological carrying capacity go hand in hand.
A central element of the master plan is the blue-green ribbon that links the various zones. The ribbon follows the natural structure of the landscape and creates a slow-paced network for walkers and cyclists. In the recreational area, a fully accessible experiential path was designed that crosses the habitat of the tree frog. The path network was conceived so that recreation, mobility, nature experience, and ecological carrying capacity go hand in hand.
Thr Scholtis Square and the central parking area were redesigned in harmony with the broader landscape, with attention to water permeability, planting, and quality of stay.
The highlight of the project is the bridge over the Zuid-Willems Canal. It twists like a comma from the island up to the Kempen plateau. Its sculptural form and technical refinement make the bridge an architectural statement while seamlessly integrating it into the landscape. The structure functions both as a practical connection and a destination in itself, marking the entrance to the National Park.
