Reconversion project for the "Silent Servants" M1Arch Design Studio with Bram Aerts, Jan Baes and Matteo Paracchini
Location: Brussels
Size: 17.500 sqm
Collaboration with St. Arch. Theresa Zschäbitz
Description: The „Blooming Servant“ project is a conversion of an existing building from the 1970s. The site extends over the entire depth of the block perimeter and thus connects to both the 6-lane Brussels ring road Avenue de la Toison d‘Or, as well as Rue Jourdan, which is already located in the residential district of St.Gilles.
This central location in the block, as well as the connecting function of the plot between a representative location at a popular business location and the family residential quarter of St. Gilles, motivated us to plan a mixed-use complex here, which forms a new neighbourhood meeting point in its interior.
We open up the existing structure, which in both parts of the building is composed of a clearly gridded concrete structure and a heavy façade made of prefabricated concrete elements. By replacing the façade with a 2-storey-high mullion and transom façade on the one hand, and on the other hand by removing non-load-bearing walls on all floors and reducing the load-bearing core to its minimum size, we managed to turn it’s floors into a „white“ canvas ready for new concepts of use.
The inner courtyard plays a central role. The demolition of the existing buildings in the courtyard creates a connecting area that brings the ground floor uses into exchange with each other in the form of terraces and a ruin garden.
The two buildings are given a new additional outdoor buffer zone towards the courtyard, which is created by the recess of the façade level and the use of the existing reinforced concrete cantilevers.
The use of a steel net spanning the entire courtyard façade combines the building volume on the one hand, and on the other, the moiré effect of the net filters direct views into the open façade behind it.
Location: Brussels
Size: 17.500 sqm
Collaboration with St. Arch. Theresa Zschäbitz
Description: The „Blooming Servant“ project is a conversion of an existing building from the 1970s. The site extends over the entire depth of the block perimeter and thus connects to both the 6-lane Brussels ring road Avenue de la Toison d‘Or, as well as Rue Jourdan, which is already located in the residential district of St.Gilles.
This central location in the block, as well as the connecting function of the plot between a representative location at a popular business location and the family residential quarter of St. Gilles, motivated us to plan a mixed-use complex here, which forms a new neighbourhood meeting point in its interior.
We open up the existing structure, which in both parts of the building is composed of a clearly gridded concrete structure and a heavy façade made of prefabricated concrete elements. By replacing the façade with a 2-storey-high mullion and transom façade on the one hand, and on the other hand by removing non-load-bearing walls on all floors and reducing the load-bearing core to its minimum size, we managed to turn it’s floors into a „white“ canvas ready for new concepts of use.
The inner courtyard plays a central role. The demolition of the existing buildings in the courtyard creates a connecting area that brings the ground floor uses into exchange with each other in the form of terraces and a ruin garden.
The two buildings are given a new additional outdoor buffer zone towards the courtyard, which is created by the recess of the façade level and the use of the existing reinforced concrete cantilevers.
The use of a steel net spanning the entire courtyard façade combines the building volume on the one hand, and on the other, the moiré effect of the net filters direct views into the open façade behind it.
