Sittard's historic centre lies amid mediaeval ramparts surrounded by a glacis. The design for the development area around the old town introduces a new town heart that is both visually and physically closely related to this ancient town centre. A large square and meeting point that opens onto the glacis and the old town is at the centre of the design. Together with a series of small and snug shopping plazas, it makes up a vital new heart. Footpaths that join up with existing routes create a logical connection between the old and the new. Building volumes that house, among other things, the Hogeschool Zuyd, a new museum, the film house and commercial space form the natural boundary of the central square and the intimate plazas. The various functions are tied together in a way that affords mutual use of the facilities. A modern tower on the square is visually aligned with the church steeple. Lending access to the various floors of the new buildings by footbridges, the tower forms the central access point from the car park beneath the square.