Zuidpark
SHUFFLE helps to create a vibrant and sustainable public realm in the heart of Antwerp for residents and visitors
The Zuiderdokken is a 9-hectare area that used to be part of the docks in Antwerp until 1969 when it was transformed into car parks. It remained a drab parking area for a long time, while the surrounding Zuid district developed into a cultural, creative and avant-garde hub.
The City of Antwerp officials wanted to transform the site into a much-loved public space where residents could reconnect with each other and reinvigorate this fast-changing neighbourhood.
A new living space that promotes well-being and conviviality
In September 2015, after consultation with the local community, they decided to transform this area into a dynamic, green park, named Zuidpark.
In the first phase, they built two underground car parks to mitigate any potential problems with parking availability. One level is dedicated to bike parking and provides electric charging stations.
On the surface, the site has been redeveloped into 3 square parks, with each park reflecting the shapes of the old quays (Kooldok, Schippersdok and Steendok). Each park has its own character and offers open spaces with grass, various plants, a water basin, play areas, community gardens and sports facilities.
SHUFFLE, a multi-functional lighting system for (r)evolution
An urban lighting solution was needed to enable residents to comfortably navigate and enjoy this new public space after the sun sets. It had to integrate with the city’s master lighting plan which aims to improve the quality of life for citizens through more coherent and sustainable lighting.
Schréder was chosen to participate in the transformation of this public space, and the teams were delighted.
The City of Antwerp and its partners AG VESPA and FLUVIUS chose the multi-functional SHUFFLE smart pole, convinced by its performance and versatility.
Firstly, because the architect wanted lighting in the form of a column with a pure design. Secondly, by integrating 180° and 360° optics in the same column, SHUFFLE provides more than just public lighting – it also highlights the surrounding vegetation, sports and leisure areas and architectural heritage. It helps to create a more welcoming environment that meets the city’s expectations and delights its users.
In addition, the SHUFFLE was able to meet the request of the Antwerp Police to equip the pole with a bracket to allow the installation of surveillance cameras to reduce blind spots and meet safety requirements.
A smart and scalable lighting system
Over the 3 phases of this project, 204 SHUFFLE smart poles will be installed, including:
- 6 equipped with surveillance cameras;
- 174 equipped with 360° optics;
- 24 equipped with both 360° and 1 180° optics;
- 6 equipped with both 360° and 2 180° optics.
The SHUFFLE smart poles are connected-ready. They are all equipped with Zhaga-D4i sockets to meet all the requirements for plug-and-play interoperability between luminaires and connected devices, such as nodes and sensors. This ensures that the system can be scaled up for future smart city deployments and operates smoothly over the long term.
Thanks to this redevelopment, the city has succeeded in its challenge of transforming a badly-used site into a vibrant public space where people enjoy meeting up day and night.