Memorial 22/03, Memorial in Sonian Forest, Belgium.
Memorial 22/03 is a memorial site in Sonian Forest near Uccle with a circular structure made of bluestone and birch wood. The space sits within the Vallon du Vuylbeek valley and blends architectural elements with the natural forest setting.
The memorial was created after the 2016 Brussels attacks, which killed 12 people at Brussels Airport and 20 at Maalbeek metro station. Relatives of one victim asked Brussels environment minister Céline Fremault for a memorial tree; that request grew into the monument, inaugurated on 21 March 2017.
The site has a circular layout that encourages people to face each other while looking toward the center together. This arrangement creates a space for shared remembrance and human connection.
The memorial lies in the Sonian Forest within Uccle, in the Vallon du Vuylbeek valley, reached on foot along woodland paths; the ring of bluestone blocks sits flush with the ground among birches and can be used as seating. The setting is a managed forest, so paths may be muddy after rain and the ground is covered with leaf litter.
The memorial was built after relatives of one victim asked Brussels environment minister Céline Fremault for a commemorative tree; that request grew into the whole monument. Landscape architect Bas Smets, who also designed a memorial for the victims of the Utøya attack in Norway, drew the plan.
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