In the middle of Flanders at the Dutch- Belgian border lies the small town of Overslag. Once, Overslag was a place where the transshipment of goods took place, from the lower canals at the polder areas to the smaller and higher canals in the direction of Gent.
The border runs right through…
In the middle of Flanders at the Dutch- Belgian border lies the small town of Overslag. Once, Overslag was a place where the transshipment of goods took place, from the lower canals at the polder areas to the smaller and higher canals in the direction of Gent.
The border runs right through Overslag and races of it can been seen through the various border poles from from the times of the Austrian Empire (which Belgium made part of). Apart from that, nothing else of the border is visible.
By taking a walk through the city with a map, one can follow the border through fences, hedges, wall of buildings, gardens or through the material used in the pavement. This strange relation between the border and the existing spacial elements as street, fences and at times buildings, became reason for questioning the behaviour of the border in Overslag.
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For the area of focus I chose to study the border behaviour at the Dorpstraat in Overslag. Dorpstraat is an ambiguous street where the northern side being Dutch and the southern Belgian. The buildings at the Dutch side have their entrances at the Dorpstraat, whereas the Belgian side is mainly characterised by the back of the houses. The dutch side is less dense, with clearly organised lots, and a few agricultural patches. The Belgium side is more dense, many lots are build to it’s maximum extent. No beauty regulations are applied, resulting in a messy look with a big variety of materials, colours and textures. All the buildings here have direct access to Dorpstraat, meaning that the houses have acces to both Belgian and dutch sides of the town.
By studying the land registry regulations it became clear that the regulation lines between the two countries overlapped each other constantly and expressed itself in physical elements such as fences, traffic signs and pavement on the road.
Are there are lessons to be learned from this small place looking as ordinary as it can be?
I am continuing the series of sections of Dorpstraat, now embracing the border with a exaggerated thickness, where program widens and narrows a long the NL-BE border. The border is made explicit and experienceable through the various rooms and passage-ways. The program range from cultural functions, like an open-air theatre, a bar(perhaps as a small customs office of transshipment), to gardens, to working and short-stay spaces. According to the historical research, most probably what now Dorpstraat is, was the then canal leading to Gent. The theme of warehouses is valid. Each program has its own material expression, according to their function.
