Pannenhuis Park

Pannenhuis Park is a narrow, elongated urban park in the Laeken district of Brussels, built along the former railway embankment of line L28. Opened in 2020, it connects the Tour & Taxis site with Laeken's old town centre, forming an important pedestrian and cycling corridor in the northern part of the city.

Why does the park have such an unusual shape?

The park's long, ribbon-like layout is not a design accident — it directly reflects the site's history. For close to three decades, the disused L28 railway embankment sat inaccessible and overgrown, gradually reclaimed by nature. Rather than clearing this wild vegetation away, the landscape designers made it the starting point for the whole project, developing the park through a participatory process with residents of the surrounding neighbourhood.

What survives from the site's railway past?

Almost every design choice in Pannenhuis Park nods to its industrial railway heritage. Old rails have been repurposed as elements of the playgrounds, while former high-voltage infrastructure has been converted into lampposts lighting the paths. The pedestrian bridge connecting the two ends of the park was designed to echo the concrete girders typically found supporting railway track beds, a deliberate reminder to visitors that they are walking along a former rail line.

Has any of the wild nature that grew there been preserved?

Yes, and this is one of the park's most distinctive features. The naturally wild character of part of the site, including wooded areas and marsh-like wetland, has deliberately been left largely untouched. The rest of the park has been adapted for sport and recreation: the old track bed has become a cycling path, and the reused rails now double as play equipment for children.

Which other parks inspired the design?

The creators of Pannenhuis Park openly drew on two of the world's best-known examples of converting disused linear infrastructure into public space: the Promenade Plantée in Paris and the High Line in New York. Like those projects, the Brussels park demonstrates how former transport infrastructure can be turned into a valuable public amenity rather than demolished.

Who is this park suited for?

Pannenhuis Park is ideal for anyone looking for a quiet, green shortcut between Tour & Taxis and old Laeken, whether on foot or by bike. It also works well for families with children thanks to playgrounds inspired by the site's railway past, and for anyone interested in urban nature who will appreciate the semi-wild sections that have been left intact. Given its elongated, corridor-like shape, the park is best explored along its full length rather than visited at just one point.

Frequently asked questions

When did Pannenhuis Park open? The park opened in 2020, built on the site of the former L28 railway embankment.

What does Pannenhuis Park connect? It links the Tour & Taxis site with the old centre of the Laeken district, serving as a corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.

Are there any railway-era elements left in the park? Yes — old rails were reused in the playgrounds, former high-voltage structures were converted into lampposts, and the pedestrian bridge's design echoes the concrete girders of railway track beds.

Which other parks is Pannenhuis Park similar to? It is conceptually closest to the Promenade Plantée in Paris and the High Line in New York, both also built on former railway infrastructure.