Hasta La Ideas

Folded steel staircases lead to elevated rooms atop freestanding metal towers inside this old industrial building in Brussels that adn Architectures has converted into an open-plan apartment (+ slideshow).

Belgian studio adn Architectures added the two-storey structures on opposite sides of the space, loosely dividing a living room at one end from a central dining area and adjoining kitchen.

The architects used a mixture of solid and perforated metal to vary the transparency of the more secluded spaces within the towers, which comprise a bathroom and a utility room on the main level, and a bedroom and study on the upper levels.

Cantilevered staircases made from folded steel lead separately to the top-floor spaces and face one another across the dining area.

Describing their intervention as “two volumes and three pieces of furniture,” the architects explained that they wanted to create a simple interior with a limited palette of materials and colours.

The pieces of built-in furniture mentioned are a kitchen counter, a bookshelf and a double-height wall of storage, which stretch along the two long sides of the apartment.

Concrete ceilings are left exposed and three columns come down to the meet the new flooring, which is made up of a polyurethane screed.

Photography is by Filip Dujardin.

Here’s a project description from adn architecture:

Loft FOR

Let’s get straight to the point: an imposed decorum, four walls and a few windows, functional needs to sleep, eat read and wash. Two internal bodies that embrace the envelope without touching it, opaque, translucent, airy, abstract.

A place: An unfinished surface of 96 square meters: walls made of terracotta blocks, raw concrete ceiling, windows on two of the four walls and two technical ducts.

A program: Designed it for a couple who want a loft conversion type of interior design with efficient use of space.

An answer: Seek purity of form and functional simplicity.

Means: Creation of a minimum of two new volumes and use of a very limited set of materials.

Organisation: Two volumes are built and three pieces of furniture are installed to structure the volume.

The two metallic volumes on the ground floor welcome the two functions that require doors that close: the bathroom and the laundry room. The top floors of the volumes conceal a bedroom and an office.

The position of these volumes alongside technical ducts determines different volumes with different qualities.

The three pieces of furniture then structure and give function to the remaining space: a long kitchen cabinet in a narrow space between the entrance and the laundry room, a wall of storage near the entrance and a library in the more intimate space that leads to the balcony.

The materials are polyurethane screed for the floor; solid or perforated metal for the structuring elements, stratified MDF for the furniture, with a paint finish to exacerbate the texture of the various materials. The ceiling is kept as is to remind of the pre-existing unified volume.

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by adn Architectures appeared first on Dezeen.

Belgian studio Pascal François Architects has completed a two-storey house in rural Belgium that slots beneath the roof of an old stable block (+ slideshow).

Pascal François Architects designed the residence to take the place of another house that had been demolished in Lokeren, northern Belgium. It occupies the exact footprint of the old home and its end intersects with the single-storey stable alongside.

A glazed kitchen sits at the point where the two buildings overlap, but is not joined to the existing structure of the stable.

The architect had to demonstrate to planning authorities that the two buildings weren’t connected in order to gain permission to build.

“The reason for positioning the extension under the existing roof was in search of morning light into the kitchen,” François told Dezeen.

“It caused difficulties because we could not build a volume exceeding 1000 cubic metres, and they [the authorities] were counting the barn and the house together because they are touching,” he added.

The rectilinear house sits perpendicular to the barn. Ceramic panels clad the top half of the structure, while the lower section is covered with vertical strips of wood that are interspersed with floor-to-ceiling windows.

The entrance to the house is also covered in similar wooden strips, allowing it to blend in with the walls.

Once inside, residents are faced with a large window, which looks out to a long water feature that extends outwards from the opposite wall.

This space leads through to a monochrome living and dining area with a wooden deck off to one side, while an office is positioned at the opposite end.

Three bedrooms and a pair of bathrooms are located upstairs, and the old barn is still used for keeping horses.

Photography is by Thomas De Bruyne.

Here’s a project description from the architects:

Barn

For a number of years, the Flemish government have allowed un-zoned buildings to be renovated or even to be rebuilt.

The rules, however, are extremely stringent. With this project, we have tried to respond to this reality in a contemporary manner.

As the line of what is possible is so very thin, obtaining the building permit alone has taken two and a half years.

The new habitable volume is built on the compulsory “footprint zone” of the old house, but extends towards the barn without actually touching it construction-wise.

The purpose was to catch the light in the east. The result is an exciting symbiosis between old and new.

The barn determines the character of the site and of the building. Hidden behind a wooden “ribbon”, a number of openings needed to be added.

Further on, the ribbon is draped around the new house and finally becomes a usable terrace.

The upper floor of the house is covered with ceramic panels, the colour and the material referring to the existing barn’s roof.

The remarkably sober and closed façade on the street side hides a very light and spacious interior, which derives its energy from a series of patios.

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Pascal François Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Ghent studio Open Y Office has extended a house in Belgium, adding a concrete structure that could also function as a standalone residence (+ slideshow).

Located in the town of Herent, the extension was designed by Open Y Office with stark concrete walls that contrast against the white-painted brick exterior of the old house, which is a converted post office.

“The inhabitants wanted an extension that was flexible enough to be transformed in time to a separate unit with its own bed and bathroom,” said the architects.

The volume of the building appears as two rectangular boxes stacked on top of one another, with the upper storey slightly overlapping the ground floor below.

An open-plan living area occupies the first floor and overlooks a garden with a new swimming pool.

A glass passageway leads through to the existing house, plus large timber-framed windows open the room out to a long and narrow balcony.

The ground floor below contains storage areas and a garage with timber panelled doors.

Concrete steps with a steel balustrade lead into the house via an entrance on the first floor.

Other residential extensions we’ve recently featured include a London home with a walk-on glass roof and an extension in Dublin covered with terracotta tiles that look like bricks.

See more residential extensions »
See more architecture and design in Belgium »

Photography is by Tom Janssens.

Here’s a short description from the architects:

House Wiva

This OYO story takes you to Herent, where the extension of a private residence captures its surroundings.

The inhabitants wanted an extension that was flexible enough to be transformed in time to a separate unit with its own bed and bathroom.

OYO emphasised the contrast between the new shape and the old volume, which used to be an post office. You can see the concrete floating above the garden.

From the point of view of the residents, the extension creates exciting views from the new living room. The two volumes are connected with a light wooden footbridge that functions as entrance but also clarifies the different volumes.

Architects: OYO – Open Y Office
Location: Herent, Belgium
Type: Single family house extension
Area: House extension 110 m2
Year: 2010

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Open Y Office appeared first on Dezeen.

German studio J. Mayer H. Architects has completed a building housing a law court, university library, auditoriums and offices in the Belgian city of Hasselt (+ slideshow).

J. Mayer H. Architects collaborated with local Hasselt firms a2o-architecten and Lensºass architecten on the building, which is located on a former railway station site that is being transformed into a new urban district.

The court of justice building is divided into three separate units containing the courtrooms, student library and the office tower, which also houses a restaurant with panoramic views across the city.

The form of the tower and the pattern of perforated panels on the facade reference the hazelnut trees found in the City of Hasselt’s coat of arms.

Steel cladding on the exterior evokes the area’s industrial heritage and the influence of art nouveau on this part of Belgium.

The tree motif continues inside the building, with a veined pattern covering a wall behind the main reception desk.

J. Mayer H. recently created a temporary event space made from scaffolding at an art museum in Munich and a house in Stuttgart that resembles a dinosaur’s head – see more J. Mayer H.

Other law courts on Dezeen include SOM’s federal courthouse, which recently began construction in downtown Los Angeles, and a long, narrow courthouse building positioned amongst the brick buildings of a former tobacco factory in Venice – see more law courts.

Photography is by Bieke Claessens, except where stated otherwise.

Here’s some more information from the architects:

New Court of Justice, Hasselt, Belgium

September 13th, 2013 marks the opening of “Court of Justice” in Hasselt, designed by the architects team of J. MAYER H. Architects, a2o-architecten and Lensºass architecten. After finishing the exterior skin already in 2011, the interior was completed in spring of 2013.

The new court of justice is an open, transparent building with direct public access, combining the Court of Justice with a university library and auditoriums for the faculty of law.

In keeping with the building’s logistical requirements and safety provisions, the structure is divided into three separate units: courtrooms, the library for students and an office tower with a 64-meters-high panorama restaurant on top from which offers a panoramic view of the city of Hasselt and its surroundings.

Based on a master plan by West 8, the former railway station site has been restructured with a park, public buildings, offices and hotels, as well as urban residential blocks.

The team of J. MAYER H. Architects, Lens °Ass and a20-architecten have realized one of the two high-rise buildings, “the new court of justice”, a structure that stands as a contemporary urban landmark of the new district.

References in the design process point to both the image of the “tree”, the hazelnut trees in the City of Hasselt’s coat of arms, and steel structures in the once industrial and Art Nouveau-influenced area.

Client: n.v. SOHA (Stedelijke ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Hasselt) – Autonoom Gemeentebedrijf Hasselt + Euro Immo Star)
Architects: J. MAYER H. Architects, a2o-architecten, Lensºass architecten
Construction Company: T.H.V. Hasaletum nv (Democo nv – Cordeel nv – Interbuild nv)
Tenant: Regie der Gebouwen
User: Federale Overheidsdienst Justitie
Square Footage: 20.763 m² above-ground spaces (Offices, Meeting-Rooms, Library, Reception, Cafeteria, Court rooms) 4.694 m² Underground spaces (Archive), 3.384 m² Underground spaces Parking Lot

Construction Time: October 2008 – September 2013
Address: Parklaan, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Project-manager: Eurostation NV

Structural Engineering: M. & A. Van Wetter BVBA
Technical Engineering: Eurostation NV
Controlling and Fire Protection: Seco CV

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J. Mayer H. Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Belgian artist Nick Ervinck has masked the unattractive rear facade of a building in Ghent by constructing a gigantic yellow blob with a bar inside (+ slideshow).

Named Cirbaots, the huge sculpture is attached to the rear of Zebrastraat, a mixed-use building that houses art galleries, apartments, and a hotel and lounge. New apartments constructed recently behind the building had revealed windowless facades never intended to be seen, so Nick Ervinck was asked to place a large sculpture in front.

“For me it was really challenging to do something at that scale,” he told Dezeen. “The idea was to put a bar inside the sculpture, so it was almost like hiding one sculpture underneath another.”

Describing how he came up with the idea for the blob-like form, Ervinck explained: “I started with the idea of water, then came more to the idea of fabric, of a cloth or a veil.”

The bright yellow form folds around the new bar – set to be fitted out by designer Peter Vermeersch – and its colour matches an earlier installation created by the artist on another side of the building.

The structure was assembled from seven parts that were manufactured offsite and then hoisted into place. “We had to close one of the most important streets in the city for two days,” revealed Ervinck.

The main body is made from polyurethane foam, which was sculpted by hand based on a computer-generated design. The exterior was then built up with a layer of fibreglass and painted polyester.

“It still fells like one really big veil,” said Ervinck, reflecting on the completed form. “On one hand it’s very much a sculpture, but on the other it’s completely figurative, like a huge piece of fabric that’s glowing.”

Other installations to feature on Dezeen recently include an arched screen with hundreds of building-shaped holes and a melting brick wall. See more art and design installations »

Here’s some more information from the designer:

CIRBAOTS

With this monumental project for Zebrastraat in Ghent, Ervinck bundles some current topics and personal interests: the architectural discourse between blobs and boxes, the art historical motif of the veil and the social and political tension between public and private, and outside and inside. This monumental sculpture should be a meeting point that bridges the separation between public and private, and between inside and outside. Moreover, it elevates the “rear” of the building or neighbourhood to a visual attraction.

Blobs and boxes

This monumental sculpture is so to speak grafted on the building and illustrates the contrast between the conventional models of the architecture (box) and the virtual design (blob). It is a contrast between rigid and organic forms and between physical and virtual. While most architects favour only one single of these schools in design, Ervinck choose with this design resolutely for a third way: the synthesis of both. Inspired by architects like Will Alsop and Greg Lynn, Ervinck explored the potential of digital design methods for the sculpture. For Zebrastraat he designed an organic form that seems to loosen the cube, but at the same time can not exist without the latter. This tension between the solidity of the base on the one hand, and the sculpture coming to life on the other, was already treated by Ovid (the sculptor Pygmalion creates Galathea from a cut stone) and in the 17th century, beautifully visualised by Bernini (Daphne’s legs are half part of the base and half free). In the work of Nick the blob and the box form as it were two identities that attack, embrace and reject each other and merge together. This monumental work is not only a study of the media sculpture, it also challenges its existence conditions (mass, dimension, matter and gravity) in a radical way.

Veil

Covering with fabric or a veil is an art historical theme with a long tradition. Pliny associated the curtain with illusionism and interactivity: he described how he fooled the artist Parrhasius Zeuxis by asking him to slide a painted curtain. The contemporary artist Michelangelo Pistoletto worked further on this tradition with his work ‘Green Curtain’ (1962-1965). The artwork for Zebrastraat is also about such illusion: using digital design and mathematical formulas the illusion of a fabric is created. This substance seems loosely draped over the underlying matter. It invites so to speak the viewer to lift the veil and to see what lies hidden beneath it. Associated to this are questions about the role of art in society and the imperative of participation and engagement of the viewer relative to the artwork. This artwork also refers to the Belgian identity which is intertwined with surrealism.

The German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach accented the nakedness of his figures by a transparent veil. The veil is a very ambivalent pattern: firstly it hides the information, but at the same time it also emphasises what is hidden under the cloth. The sculpted fabric stands for transformation: it conceals and reveals the matter. This art work for Zebrastraat is finally a monumental poetic ode to the volume and shape: the fundamentals of sculpture.

Public and Private

Because this work responds to the social specificity of the real estate project in Zebrastraat, it has, besides its artistic relevance, also a profound social significance.

First Ervinck plays with the concept of ‘rear’. These facades were originally not intended to be seen from the street. Now the land was bought, these facades play a new role in the streetscape. Ervinck wants to upgrade the – often unappreciated – rear of the building, and even attribute it a public function. With this work he also thinks about how art can be integrated into society.

By “covering” part of the facade with a veil, Ervinck reflects secondly on the processes of spatial appropriation. Its imposing structure reflects an increasingly problematic division between public and private, and a privatisation process that since the 15th century has become increasingly compelling. Claiming common property in order to transform it into a profitable product is today common practise in all segments of society. The protection of certain areas (think of Fortress Europe) – and the related division between “us” and “them” – is surmounted by a political act. This separation is always characterised by a tension between protection and confinement. Ervinck does not want to draw a radical line between inside and outside. He would rather create a meeting point, which will functionally be realised by the installation of a bar at the bottom of the sculpture. Just as the world has not gone away, when you close your eyes, the architecture does not disappear when it is shielded. It has been transformed and is part of the common area.

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Nick Ervinck appeared first on Dezeen.