An existing office building for a Belgian weaving company was stripped and expanded for the making of a landscape office in an industrial context.

These industrial characteristics were retained through the overall appearance, through the use of neutral materials and modular design. However the monolithic character, together with the three oversized light-boxes and the routing on the site, articulates the building as a new presence.

Starting from the lower parking area, a long catwalk with a high verge on the side serves as a visual buffer between the offices and the street traffic. The main entrance is located underneath the first light-box opposite a hole in the verge. Once inside, the strong axis of the catwalk is repeated in the central circulation.

The light-boxes, marking the building in its environment, were inspired by the technical additions on the roofs of industrial buildings. In this case they create a strong image on the outside and a spatial effect on the inside combined with plentiful natural lighting.
The sober façade with concrete and glass panels enclose the existing structure. The limited choices of materials with their specific characters define the office building as a neutral monolithic form.

Publications:

Kunsttijdschrift Vlaanderen, June 2012

Abitare - Belgium Architecture, May 2003

Deutsche Bauzeitung, October 2001

Photography:

Alberto Piovano