Description
This project stems from the transformation of former goldsmithies located on Brussels’ inner ring road. Starting from a group of very dense buildings, several demolitions created a suitable environment for 18 dwellings, offices, and a commercial space organised around four outdoor areas.
On the boulevard, there is a commercial space and the entrance to the site. Behind this first threshold, a semi-public paved courtyard serves the office spaces of the architectural studio BOB361. Further in, a private garden is shared by all the dwellings while two smaller green spaces form the heart of the northernmost apartments. On the upper floors, the dwellings are accommodated in the old industrial structures, producing a great typological and spatial variety. Their spaces are spread over large areas and are completed by terraces between green roofs. Several communal spaces are provided, such as a summer kitchen in the collective garden and a bicycle room. The original façades of the buildings are mostly in red brick, while the new additions are mainly in concrete both inside and outside. All the window frames are made of wood except for those of elements such as greenhouses, which recall the industrial character of the site. In the first courtyard, holes have been cut in the concrete floor, which are used to create a passageway to the first garden.
Courtyard view
Courtyard view
Rear view
Originally published in: Gérald Ledent, Alessandro Porotto, Brussels Housing. Atlas of Residential Building Types, Birkhäuser, 2023.