The Schouwburgplein (''Theatre Square'') is situated in the heart of the city of

Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of We ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, and is flanked by the municipal theatre (''Stadsschouwburg'') and several historic buildings. The rectangular square was formed after the demolition of the old ''Lakenhalle'' (Clothes Hall) (built in 1411), which was severely damaged by

friendly fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy or hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while ...

in 1944. The square is situated between the ''Doorniksestraat'' and the ''Havermarkt'' and occupies an area of 5,060 square metres. Today, the square is a pedestrian area with several bars and outdoor cafés. Underneath the square there is a large

parking garage A multistorey car park (Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed fo ...

, which was built in 1993. On top of the entrance to this parking garage, there is a curved fountain, ''De Golf'' ("the Wave"), sculpted by the artist

Olivier Strebelle Olivier Strebelle (20 January 1927 – 29 July 2017) was a Belgian sculptor. Strebelle was a prolific artist for more than 65 years, and his works are found in private collections and public settings around the world. His monumental (usually b ...

Literature

* , Noodopgravingen aan het Kortrijkse Schouwburgplein, Groeninghe drukkerij, Kortrijk, 1994, 176pp. * , Duizend Kortrijkse straten, N.V. Vonksteen, Langemark, 1986, 591pp. {{coord, 50, 49, 40, N, 3, 15, 55, E, region:NL_type:landmark_source:kolossus-nlwiki, display=title Buildings and structures in Kortrijk Squares in Belgium Tourist attractions in West Flanders