Invasion des objets géants

Quelques exemples implantés dans Bruxelles :

Some Toyo Ito in Bruges

We all know Toyo Ito japanese imprint and international vision but do we know Toyo Ito's belgian pavilion and his vision of the city of Bruges?

In 2002, the master of the Sendai Mediatheque was chosen to construct an ephemeral pavilion for the event "Brugge, european capital of culture". He called it "the Burg" in symbolism of the water city also known as the Little Venise.

It's a wonderful metallic structure as simple as clear is it's concept. It's a deployed metallic sheet that looks like a bee nest where you could see through the town house. It gets it's stability with the polycabornate sheets on it.

Why do I talk about it?

I was in Bruges days ago with a fellow architect and friend Séverine CHEVALIER. We were amazed to see that people/tourists didn't care about the pavilion. Hidden Behind the town house, it's literaly putrefying due to time and no care. During the last 8 years it has been debated if the town who keep it or not... It is after all an ephemeral architectural object...

But as we approched the object we would read a sign that says that it will finally be restaurated soon! :D Currently, the town is looking for the budget for the restauration (400 000€ estimated) and apparently a dutch architecture office has been nominated for the revival of the pavilion.

Now, let's hope this is not just a project on paper but that we will actually see an object come (again) alive.

Back in business

I haven't been around for a while due to technical problems (computer dead!). But it's over know, I am back, still wondering around Belgium.
Promise, I will be posting articles soon!
;-)

Till then... Be good! (cf. arkvinder-Xina KVR). hihi.

World Cup 2010 invasion

Maybe you've heard it (or the vuvuzela's) : The Football World Cup 2010 has begun. We all know it! It's everywhere, it's popular!

It's so widespread that it landed at BOZAR!

The Fine Arts Palace of Brussels has been invaded by fans of football. Everyday every game is aired on a big screen inside the Horta Hall. And the comments... First half in Dutch, second half in French.

It's exceptional, it's amazing, it's real & IT'S A SUCCESS!

Open door for building sites - Journée chantiers ouverts 2010

Today was a special day. Not because it was the "20km de Bruxelles" (popular annual marathon) but because about 180 building sites in Belgium were open to the public.

I have visited 2 of them in Brussels Center and 1 (open door) school.

---> http://www.journeechantiersouverts.be/ <---

Please visit the link to know more about the project.

* VOLTA-TRIO: a major extension and renovation project ---> 23 000m² of new office space in Brussels

address: chaussée de Charleroi #110-116, 1060 St-Gilles

Architects: Jaspers (I know they suck!)

main construction company: groupe Eiffage --> Valens

date of construction: march 2009

due to (for seen in): september 2010

I chose to visit this project because of its location. It is indeed next to my former Architecture school. I've known this building from across the street before the major constructions were made. Back then, this building was occupied by the employees of Siemens.

It's incredible to discover now a place that I've been passing next to for 5 years (and more...) not knowing what incredible things were going on in it.

During the visit I got the chance to speak to a technico-commercial (I hate them! Well... Some of them), an entrepreneur and a secretary of the main company so don't hesitate to ask me questions about the progress of this construction with your comments.

---> asbestos

---> a hidden garden/parking site

---> 23 000 m² worth of offices

---> the interaction between construction companies

---> ...

* Social housing using passive energy in the middle of a green space

address: avenue Jean Dubrucq #224-226, 1080 Molenbeek St-Jean

Architects: B-Architecten
main construction company: Gillion sa
date of construction: march 2009
due to (for seen in): may-june 2010

This project is important to me because:

a) It's in my neighboorhood

b) It's one of the main projects of one of a "Contrat de Quartier" (I will soon make a post to explain what it is)

c) It involves the debat of new technologies in construction and special technics ---> this case: passive energy in housing

I can only say that I put lots of hope in this project. It's public (the client is the municipality of Molenbeek St-Jean) and it offers lots of possibilities in many points in construction: passive energy, a public green space for the neighboorhood (we need that), new design in Architecture.

* Centre Formation En Alternance Construction

address: rue de la Poste #262, 1030 Schaerbeek

The main purpose of my visit was to convince myself that the choice of working in the world construction can be motivated by a passion or at least a little fervor. I've seen more and more these days workers with little enthousiasm coming on my building sites. I wondered if they were forced to be workers because they needed it (it pays...) or if somekind of motivation was there to push them to work in the construction world.

As an unaware person I do not deny that I've had sometimes the prejudice of the worker being an "Average Joe". Although I believe (and now more) that the world of construction is made of good, hard working people. It's so hard to find them. But they are there. Not just quacks who only wants the client's money but real craftsmen who enjoy being a part of the construction of a building, of an architectural object. Thanks to the professors with whom I spoke to. They have helped me understand the world of construction from another point of view.

If I may give a pointer: don't neglect the persons who works with his hands. We need people like that. I hope they realise that. We should always thank them for the good work they do.

bxlx - let's connect ourselves through blogs

bxlx comes from cphx ---> http://www.cphx.dk/ <--- , an initiative born in Copenhagen , Denmark.

(thanks Xina ---> http://arkvandring.blogspot.com/ <--- ).

It's an idea that aims to promote Brussels and other belgian cities through its architecture. Because it's there and we barely notice it.

* front image : model of cityscape by Arne Quinze *

New Architecture in Belgium

This website is for those who wants to step out of the box and take a closer look to what Belgium is now made of.
Because in times like these days, we struggle to believe that Belgium is going forward... Here is a resume of all the concrete ideas and projects that helps us believe that Architecture stands in this country.

This website is dedicated to all the young belgian (and non-belgian) architects who enters the professional world.
Because we are young and naive... Let's stay that way! It makes us believe...

L'objectif de toute éducation devrait être de projeter chacun dans l'aventure d'une vie à découvrir, à orienter, à construire. (Albert JACQUARD)