Bolivarplaats – New Palace of Justice
The Bolivarplaats project in Antwerp encompasses the public space surrounding the New Palace of Justice, designed by Richard Rogers. Wirtz International designed the 37,500 square metre landscape that integrates the courthouse into the urban fabric of the city.
The design transforms the square into a green public space with structured tree plantings, clipped hedges, and generous pedestrian areas. The formal layout creates a dignified setting appropriate for a major civic building while remaining welcoming and accessible.
The project, developed between 1997 and 2006, required careful coordination with the architectural team to ensure the landscape and building work together as a unified composition.
Bolivarplaats stands as an example of how landscape architecture can shape civic identity, creating a public square that serves both the daily needs of the city and the symbolic requirements of a palace of justice.
