Arlon 53
Aarlenstraat, Brussels 2021 - 2023
A relance
Aarlen53 bears a resemblance to a generation of iconic post-war buildings in Brussels, but it also has several important shortcomings: dead-end outdoor spaces, an opaque base, an obtrusive oversized structure and an undefined crown. The design initially preserves the building by maintaining the characteristic load-bearing concrete façade, but it will also rid of a number of inaccuracies. The design goes beyond a technical and energy upgrade, correcting the ‘almost’.
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A strategic and ambitious stuctural correction results in a futureproof office environment, that can uniquely establish itself within the office landscape of the European Quarter.
The optimized structure frees up space for a cityroom that seeks a strong interaction at the center of the building with two publicly accessible passages flanking it. The project aims to provide a sustainable and profitable solution for the vacant underground spaces by transforming them into a conference center and exhibition space. On the roof, the building is completed by a new volume that reiterates the distinctive S-shaped silhouette of the building.
Waste-less: a restructured brute
To prepare the building for the next fifty years, a simple energy upgrade doesn’t suffice. A fundamental structural correction is necessary.
The existing central staircase and elevator shaft will be removed, along with a double row of inexpertly positioned columns that prevent the office floors from being used efficiently.
New columns and beams will be added at logical distances from the facades. Two new stair and elevator cores nestle withing the folds of the S-shaped plan. The result is a building with an open plinth that functions as a city room, offices that can compete with contemporary standards, an addition on the roof that crowns the building, and the utilization of two underground levels as a conference facility.
Consultants
Bureau Bouwtechniek, CES, Util, Daidalos
Location
Aarlenstraat, Brussels
Client
BPI Real Estate & AG Real Estate
Type
Competition, 1st prize
Program
Renovation of an office building
Timing
2021 - ...
Surface
19.096 m2
Status
On site
"With the integral quality of their project, ATAMA managed to fully argue in favour of preserving this symbolic building insofar as it is now unthinkable that demolition was ever an option."
