Hippodroom Groenendaal

Hippodroom Groenendaal

Hippodroom Groenendaal

A stadium for horse racing and chariot racing in Belgium

By Alan | 19 December 2010

MVRDV - Expo 2000 Hannover

© Alan Cuypers | Wadi Rum

History

Definition

Hippodrome is a term sometimes used for public entertainment venues of various types. A modern example is the Hippodrome which opened in London in 1900 “combining circus, hippodrome, and stage performances”.

Etymology

The word “hippodrome” is derived from Ancient Greek hippódromos (Greek: ἱππόδρομος), a stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name itself is a compound of the words híppos (Greek: ἵππος), meaning “horse”, and drómos (Greek: δρόμος), meaning “course”. The ancient Roman counterpart was the circus.

Description

One end of the hippodromos of the Ancient Greeks was semicircular, while the other was a quadrilateral with an extensive portico. At the front thereof, at a lower level, were the stalls for the horses and chariots. On either end of the hippodromos were posts (Greek termata) around which the chariots turned. This was the most dangerous part of the track and the Greeks put an altar to Taraxippus (disturber of horses) there to show the spot where many chariots were wrecked. Where possible, it was built on the slope of a hill and the ground excavated from one side was transferred to the other to form an embankment thereat.

1880

Hippodroom van Bosvoorde (Boitsfort)

Hippodroom van Groenendaal

Hippodroom van Bredene

Hippodroom van Antwerpen

Hippodrome de Wallonie (Bergen)

De geschiedenis van hippodrooms in België omvat een aantal belangrijke locaties en periodes. De hippodroom van Bosvoorde, geopend in 1880, was een prominente renbaan die tot 1995 in gebruik was. De hippodroom van Groenendaal, aangelegd in opdracht van Koning Leopold II, kende een bloeiperiode voor de Eerste Wereldoorlog, met tot vijftig koersen per jaar. Een ander belangrijk voorbeeld is de hippodroom van Bredene, gebouwd in 1923, maar verwoest tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Hippodroom van Bosvoorde (Boitsfort):
Geopend in 1880, gesloten in 1995. Tegenwoordig is het terrein deels een golfterrein en deels een recreatiedomein genaamd D’horM Park.

Hippodroom van Groenendaal:
Aangelegd in de buurt van Brussel, met een unieke rechte mijl baan. De site is nog steeds herkenbaar, maar de grote betonnen tribune is afgebroken.

Hippodroom van Bredene:
Gebouwd in 1923, verwoest in 1941 door de Duitse bezetter.

Hippodroom van Antwerpen:
Geopend in 1903 op de Leopold de Waelplaats, later gesloten in 1958 en gesloopt in de jaren ’70. Het terrein is herontwikkeld door Vooruitzicht tot een nieuwbouwproject genaamd “Hippodroom”.

Hippodrome de Wallonie (Bergen):
Opgericht in 1999, is een multidisciplinaire locatie voor draf- en galoprennen, jumping en een kenniscentrum voor paarden.

Hippodrooms, afgeleid van het Griekse “hippódromos”, waren oorspronkelijk plaatsen voor paardenrennen en wagenrennen.
In België werden hippodrooms vaak gebouwd in de late 19e en vroege 20e eeuw, met een hoogtepunt in populariteit voor de Eerste Wereldoorlog.

De hippodrooms dienden niet alleen voor sport, maar ook voor sociale evenementen, feesten en amusementsdoeleinden.

Na de Tweede Wereldoorlog namen de populariteit en het gebruik van hippodrooms af, mede door de opkomst van nieuwe vormen van entertainment en media zoals televisie.

Veel hippodroomterreinen zijn herontwikkeld voor andere doeleinden, zoals woningbouw, recreatie of sportfaciliteiten.

In België zijn er nog vijf hippodromen waar drafrennen worden gehouden: de Hippodroom Waregem, de hippodroom van Kuurne, de Jekerhippodroom in Tongeren, de Hippodrome de Wallonie in Ghlin (Mons) en de Wellingtonrenbaan in Oostende.

Laatstgenoemde heropende in het begin van de zomer van 2012 de poorten voor draf- en galoprennen na verbouwingswerken aan de tribune. De Brusselse hippodroom van Sterrebeek ging failliet in 2002 en sloot in 2005 definitief de deuren.

Hippodroom

Groenendaal

The Dead Sea

Salty

Prison H15

Prison H15

Prison H15

Centre pénitentiaire de Lille-Loos-Sequedin

→ 2024.03.23 – 2024.04.12

Prison H15

Not just a random prison

Loos-Lille prison is the better-known name, although was let’s say. It is completely demolished today.

This prison closed in 2011, originally there was a monastery on the site, but turned into a prison in the 19ᵗʰ century. 1500 Inmates was the max. capacity. It had a wing for both men and women.

We visited this interesting prison twice in 2014 and we found it astonishing to explore.

Zettlab AI NAS D8 Ultra

© Prison H15 | door locks

Holland creates space | MVRDV – Expo 2000

Holland creates space | MVRDV – Expo 2000

Alan Portrait - 2016

Holland creates space | MVRDV – Expo 2000

MVRDV Expo 2000 - Hanover

MVRDV

What does it stand for?

MVRDV is an acronym for the founding members of the architecture and design practice with the same name: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries.

Founded in 1993 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Current offices with 250 employees are located in Rotterdam, Shanghai and Paris.

Check out their amazing creations, click here to learn more.

Expo

2000

The Netherlands

Pavilion

Expo 2000

A world’s fair

World’s fairs or world fairs haven been in existance for quite a long time and can be officially traced back to The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London where the Crystal Palace was made out of cast iron and glass by architect Sir Joseph Paxton.

These fairs, or World Expos as we modern Europeans call it, are designed to showcase a nation’s achievement through architectural pavilions. Participants of the World Expos usually build their own pavilions and are thereby the most expensive exhibitions out there.

In the year 2000, the World Expo was held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday 1 June to Tuesday 31 October 2000. For this event the Hanover Fairground (Messegelände Hannover) was chosen, which was originally a place where military aircraft were created.

At the Expo 2000 were 40 million visitors expected but a mere half appeared at the event and it unfortunately became a flop and financial failure as a result. Nevertheless the Dutch pavilion present at the exhibition seemed to be very successful for the Dutch Economy despite a generally failed expo at the time.

MVRDV Expo 2000 - Hanover

Dutch

Open-mindedness

Flat

Landscapes

Our Visit

Another perspective

As Alan’s friend Hannes was studying architecture in Antwerp at the moment of their travel they planned their trips to fulfull their needs with either empty buildings or architectural highlights in places less explored. They visited Berlin 2 years earlier in April 2012 when they had seen leftovers of the winter’s snow and took father’s tent to accommodate their nights to make their trip a little less expensive.

Back to Hanover 2014, where Alan & Hannes took the car from Antwerp to Germany & Poland to attend a Belgian/Polish family wedding. Our trip lasted about 3 weeks and on our schedule was the Netherlands Pavilion from the Expo 2000 exhibition event, located in Hanover, Germany.

We knew it was abandoned for years and that is exactly why we wanted to take a glimpse of this extraordinary building. Just to see with our own eyes what the Dutch had created 14 years earlier.

It was painful to see such an inovative creation in such despair and actual state of decay. Vandalists came long before us…

MVRDV Expo 2000 - Hanover

Decay

Urban exploration unsuccessful

In the picture above you can see Alan posing for a photo while sitting near the edge of a huge building in decay.

This is called urban exploration at its best. No guard, no fence, no people, well almost no people, no rules, no nothing. Well, haha, we wish right!

Actually these properties still belong to someone or the government, but are usually left behind unattended and neglected for years. So basically one can freely enter, but beware to enter with caution and great awareness of hidden dangers are always lurking around the corner. Take full responsibility if you want to enter, especially when taking other people with you and we suggest to explore at least with two or even three in case something bad might happen. You never know!

MVRDV Expo 2000 - Hanover

Future Plan

Is it going to be preserved?

Plans are on the table to preserve this creative piece of architecture from the MVRDV team.

But no sketches of it have been shared as of yet.

Its

Future

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