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Projets d'embellissement 2021
LE CONTRE-PROJET EN ARCHITECTURE
Un outil visuel au service du citoyen
Opposée au monopole de l’architecture moderniste mondialisée, La Table Ronde de l’Architecture développe des contre-projets sous forme d’esquisses à main levée afin de démontrer qu’il existe des alternatives humaines, belles et pérennes à la simplification moderniste. Dans la droite ligne des Archives d’Architecture Moderne (AAM) de Maurice Culot qui combattaient en leur temps la bruxellisation folle furieuse qui dévorait des quartiers entiers de la capitale, La Table Ronde de l’Architecture sollicite ses membres pour montrer aux responsables politiques que la population regorge d’imagination pour ses villes. Utilisons-la ! Enracinée dans une histoire et un terroir, l’architecture traditionnelle n’accuse aucune rupture violente de styles. Elle est durable grâce à l’utilisation de matériaux naturels et locaux, intelligente par la mise en œuvre de techniques artisanales évolutives, adaptée au contexte et fidèle aux traditions et codes architecturaux du pays ou de la région dans lesquels elle s’insère. Enfin, et ce n’est pas anecdotique, elle est esthétique et juste car le Beau est source de Bien-être.
Counter-project at Quai des charbonnages 1 - BRUSSELS
Project by Jakub Ryng
Faced with this unsatisfactory project, which promises to be yet another architectural scar in a district that already has many, La Table Ronde de l’Architecture asbl asked Jakub Ryng, member and architect, to design a counter-project that is close to the wishes of the residents and a desire to beautify Brussels. His proposal respects the size of traditional buildings, uses natural construction materials (blue stone, terracotta, wooden floor and frame, lime plaster and slate) that give our capital its beautiful and sober identity. Finally, the counter-project gives pride of place to environmental concerns: it is a building that will last, will cross the centuries, which is the hallmark of true ecology! Far from real estate speculation or vulgar investment, this counter-project will make its inhabitants proud and will mark the marriage of beauty and popular causes, which should be the compass of the public authorities.
©MS-A, V+ en TRANSbouwproject (dockside woontorentje sainctelette ms-a trans v+)
Project by Jakub Ryng (TRA knight and architect in London)
©MS-A, V+ en TRANSbouwproject (dockside woontorentje sainctelette ms-a trans v+)
Counter-project for the Récollets - NIVELLES
Project by Romane Borrell and Johan Recén
For architecture that respects heritage
In Belgium, there is no longer any hesitation in destroying century-old architecture in order to construct buildings of mediocre quality. The aim is to avoid costly restoration and maximise returns. The consequences: the ugliness of the country, the loss of identity, the disappearance of heritage.
Since the Second World War, towns and countryside have been ravaged by brutal, ill-considered and polluting urban and architectural interventions: modernist-globalised architecture has taken hold everywhere.
Justified by a scientific and functional approach, this new architecture no longer proves its worth. To the great detriment of residents and the delight of the late Corbusier, our living spaces have become living machines. But these new buildings are neither sustainable, healthy nor beautiful, and fall into disuse after just a few years.
The latest example is the Récollets convent in Nivelles, a former Franciscan convent with century-old buildings arranged around a cloister, now threatened by hasty renovation and the demolition-reconstruction of its south wing. This property development, led by developer LIXON, aims to demolish part of the convent's south wing, a magnificent 16th-century building that was remodelled in the 18th century - thus threatening the architecture of neighbouring buildings.
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Contre-projet pour l'îlot Léopold - NAMUR
Projets par Herman Silvester Stinia
Appelé « CÔTÉ VERRE », le PRU (projet de remembrement urbain) de l’Îlot Léopold, jouxtant le square éponyme, confié au promoteur immobilier BESIX RED n’a pourtant rien de vert puisqu’il prévoit, dans sa mouture initiale, un complexe de 50.000 m2 fait de béton et de verre mixant commerces, restauration, bureaux, logements, loisirs et emplacements de parking (900 places !) en rasant, au passage, un parc public qui abrite des arbres centenaires.
Un mégaprojet consumériste et disproportionné, une vision à court terme alors que l’agenda planétaire est alarmant et que les rapports successifs du GIEC implorent un changement de nos modes de consommation et de production. Dans ce contexte, rappelons que le secteur du bâtiment et de la construction est, en Europe, après les transports, un des secteurs les plus
polluants.
Pourquoi un nouveau parc immobilier à Namur ?
L’associations citoyenne « RAMUR » a dénoncé avec méthode et intelligence les errements de l’argumentaire de la majorité communale à l’origine du projet et du promoteur en vue de justifier la construction de ce que d’aucuns qualifient déjà de « bateau échoué » à l’une des entrées de la ville.
L’association La Table Ronde de l’Architecture entend porter sa voix dans ce combat contre la destruction systématique des centres villes, l’enlaidissement urbain et le tout au béton dans un contexte COVID qui devrait au contraire faire réfléchir aux choix d’aménagement de l’espace public.
La Table Ronde de l’Architecture demande que, s’il y a lieu de « repenser un quartier de la ville », cette réflexion ne fasse pas l’impasse sur l'architecture et les techniques de construction (emploi de matériaux durables). Le sauvetage du parc Léopold, dans son entièreté, n’étant même pas une question à se poser mais un devoir citoyen.
Dans le cas de l’implantation du projet BESIX RED à Namur, l’environnement bâti traditionnel est surtout représenté par d’élégantes maisons commerçantes ou d’habitation de deux ou trois étages, aux façades harmonieuses.
Il va sans dire que l’architecture mondialisée du projet BESIX RED détonne et rompt le lien avec la vieille ville et son entrée par la rue de Fer laquelle recense un patrimoine bâti remarquable.
La Table Ronde de l’Architecture a lancé un contre-projet en soutien à RAMUR qui lutte contre le projet de destruction et de reconstruction de l’Îlot Léopold » du promoteur BESIX RED à Namur.
Le contre-projet a été présenté au Ministre, Willy Borsu le 19 août 2021.
Ce contre-projet réalisé par Herman Silvester Stinia, étudiant ingénieur civil, en collaboration avec Nadia Everard propose une alternative traditionnelle au projet de Besix Red pour le réaménagement de l’îlot Léopold à Namur.
Ces dessins, sous forme d’esquisses à main levée, dévoilent une architecture qui respecte les codes classiques de construction namuroise, mélange logements et commerces/ateliers et préserve l’intégrité du petit parc urbain aux arbres centenaires.
Cette réunion a également permis à l’équipe de Ramur de rappeler l’importance de la mobilisation des Namurois contre le projet Besix (consultation populaire et réactions à l’enquête publique), ainsi que les arguments pour la prise en compte de l’environnement, arguments qui ne sont plus à démontrer comme nous le rappelle l’actualité récente.
Counter-project for the Rue de l'Activité - BRUSSELS
Project by Louis Ménia
Embellishing instead of demolishing
Low-key destruction of architectural heritage: the case of a social housing complex in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
A complex of four Art Deco buildings containing 25 social housing units, located in the Tomberg district, is due to be demolished in the coming months, but for what profit?
Near Place du Tomberg and the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert town hall, in a quiet residential area, stand four social housing blocks built in 1938 in the late Art Deco style by Belgian architect Paul Posno (who also designed Forest's No. 3 municipal school, which had its moment of glory in Dikkenek in 2006). The complex has been derelict for around ten years and is due to be demolished before the next winter, despite being listed as part of Brussels' architectural heritage.
According to social landlord L'Habitation Moderne, the reason for the demolition was the dilapidated state of the premises and the cost of bringing them up to standard. However, these characterful buildings, which date from the same years as the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert town hall, underwent major modernisation in 2004, followed by minor renovation in 2008, and still appear to be in good structural condition despite some deterioration caused by their abandonment. The project that will replace the existing buildings will accommodate more people, with 37 rather than 25 homes, and will offer occupants an underground car park with 55 spaces.
But what is the significance of the unfortunate pairing of demolition and reconstruction rather than renovation? Beyond the simple aesthetic question, there are numerous impacts. On the neighbourhood, first of all. This quiet neighbourhood, isolated from the main roads, is going to be the scene of a major worksite for many months, first with demolition, then excavation to build the car park, then construction, all to the detriment of local residents. Then there's the environmental impact, because the grey energy involved in the production of new buildings is non-negligible and unfortunately not taken into account in the EPB calculations. And what about the destruction of the rear garden? And the pseudo-recycling of demolition waste from the old buildings?
Finally, what will be the economic impact of such a project? Yes, a complete renovation including heating, windows and glazing, insulation, electricity, plumbing, and bathroom or kitchen fittings can quickly cost €1,000 per m2, which in this case would be in the region of two million euros. But in the case of a new build, the standard price is already €1,300 per m2, and that's without counting demolition (€100 to €300 per m2) or underground parking (€20,000 excluding VAT per space). Without altering the total built area, the Habitation Moderne project would already cost twice as much as renovating the small complex. That's more than four million euros, all at taxpayers' expense, because this is social housing!
Who benefits from crime? Certainly not the local residents, or even the average Brussels citizen. It's a difficult question to answer. The social landlord can only be contacted by tenants or applicants, and information is scattered all over the place, making it hard to find and collate. In the very street where the buildings are located, there is no sign of the forthcoming demolition, apart from the frail metal barriers preventing access. A month after the permit was approved, no information has been posted on the site, and although rumours are circulating among neighbours, nothing is official. And yet the Brussels-Capital Region granted the permit on 27 April 2021, without even consulting the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites!
That's why the non-profit organisation la Table Ronde de l'Architecture is calling for counter-projects to show that it is possible to preserve our heritage while adapting it to today's needs. Apart from the cruel loss of a part of our identity, the decay and demolition of heritage is a crime in view of the urgent need for housing in Brussels: witness the thousands of homeless people and the tens of thousands of households on the waiting list for social housing. Whether or not it is profitable to do so, renovating our heritage and making it available to the most precarious sections of the population is a moral obligation!
Finally, the Round Table on Architecture calls for a list of disused and abandoned heritage sites, left to decay by public authorities with little concern for the conservation of our cities, to be made public, and if this list does not exist, for it to be drawn up as soon as possible. It's a question of public confidence in politics, of social urgency and of the future of our cities.
***
The challenge of this counter-project is to embellish the original architecture while increasing the housing capacity of the complex, without destroying the existing buildings. For example, by creating extensions between the four existing urban houses that are currently isolated.
Show that this historic district of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert can adapt to the increased demand for social housing without having to wipe the slate clean, and while respecting the existing buildings and the neighbourhood!
Address: Rue de l'activité 18-26 and rue Dries 127, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
Embellishing instead of demolishing
Low-key destruction of architectural heritage: the case of a social housing complex in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
A complex of four Art Deco buildings containing 25 social housing units, located in the Tomberg district, is due to be demolished in the coming months, but for what profit?
Near Place du Tomberg and the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert town hall, in a quiet residential area, stand four social housing blocks built in 1938 in the late Art Deco style by Belgian architect Paul Posno (who also designed Forest's No. 3 municipal school, which had its moment of glory in Dikkenek in 2006). The complex has been derelict for around ten years and is due to be demolished before the next winter, despite being listed as part of Brussels' architectural heritage.
According to social landlord L'Habitation Moderne, the reason for the demolition was the dilapidated state of the premises and the cost of bringing them up to standard. However, these characterful buildings, which date from the same years as the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert town hall, underwent major modernisation in 2004, followed by minor renovation in 2008, and still appear to be in good structural condition despite some deterioration caused by their abandonment. The project that will replace the existing buildings will accommodate more people, with 37 rather than 25 homes, and will offer occupants an underground car park with 55 spaces.
But what is the significance of the unfortunate pairing of demolition and reconstruction rather than renovation? Beyond the simple aesthetic question, there are numerous impacts. On the neighbourhood, first of all. This quiet neighbourhood, isolated from the main roads, is going to be the scene of a major worksite for many months, first with demolition, then excavation to build the car park, then construction, all to the detriment of local residents. Then there's the environmental impact, because the grey energy involved in the production of new buildings is non-negligible and unfortunately not taken into account in the EPB calculations. And what about the destruction of the rear garden? And the pseudo-recycling of demolition waste from the old buildings?
Finally, what will be the economic impact of such a project? Yes, a complete renovation including heating, windows and glazing, insulation, electricity, plumbing, and bathroom or kitchen fittings can quickly cost €1,000 per m2, which in this case would be in the region of two million euros. But in the case of a new build, the standard price is already €1,300 per m2, and that's without counting demolition (€100 to €300 per m2) or underground parking (€20,000 excluding VAT per space). Without altering the total built area, the Habitation Moderne project would already cost twice as much as renovating the small complex. That's more than four million euros, all at taxpayers' expense, because this is social housing!
Who benefits from crime? Certainly not the local residents, or even the average Brussels citizen. It's a difficult question to answer. The social landlord can only be contacted by tenants or applicants, and information is scattered all over the place, making it hard to find and collate. In the very street where the buildings are located, there is no sign of the forthcoming demolition, apart from the frail metal barriers preventing access. A month after the permit was approved, no information has been posted on the site, and although rumours are circulating among neighbours, nothing is official. And yet the Brussels-Capital Region granted the permit on 27 April 2021, without even consulting the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites!
That's why the non-profit organisation la Table Ronde de l'Architecture is calling for counter-projects to show that it is possible to preserve our heritage while adapting it to today's needs. Apart from the cruel loss of a part of our identity, the decay and demolition of heritage is a crime in view of the urgent need for housing in Brussels: witness the thousands of homeless people and the tens of thousands of households on the waiting list for social housing. Whether or not it is profitable to do so, renovating our heritage and making it available to the most precarious sections of the population is a moral obligation!
Finally, the Round Table on Architecture calls for a list of disused and abandoned heritage sites, left to decay by public authorities with little concern for the conservation of our cities, to be made public, and if this list does not exist, for it to be drawn up as soon as possible. It's a question of public confidence in politics, of social urgency and of the future of our cities.
***
The challenge of this counter-project is to embellish the original architecture while increasing the housing capacity of the complex, without destroying the existing buildings. For example, by creating extensions between the four existing urban houses that are currently isolated.
Show that this historic district of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert can adapt to the increased demand for social housing without having to wipe the slate clean, and while respecting the existing buildings and the neighbourhood!
Address: Rue de l'activité 18-26 and rue Dries 127, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
Counter-projects for Het Steen - ANTWERP
Project 1 by Jakub Ryng
Project 2 by Conor K. Lynch
Project 3 by Romane Borrell
Project 4 by Victoria Schulz-Daubas
“Het Steen”, the oldest building in the city of Antwerp, is in danger of being disfigured by a modernist extension. The city authorities want to make “Het Steen”, a magnificent fortress at the crossroads of Flemish Renaissance and neo-Gothic influences, the gateway to the city centre. But for whom? Tourists, of course, to whom our cities are sold without a second thought!
Like all contemporary extensions, this is a vulgar box attached to the old building, a box moreover built without the consent of the citizens. It is a new snub to the arts, crafts, architecture and historical culture.
Although the construction has started, it may not be too late, dear friends! Let's mobilize to reverse this situation! Geert Beullens, a concerned Antwerp resident, has written a petition against this destructive project that has nearly 18,000 signatures. We invite you to sign it via this link. This petition calls for the new extension to be demolished to make way for an annex that would reflect the beauty, glory and imagination of the city of Antwerp!
It is time for the public authorities to ensure that extensions to heritage buildings follow and respect the original architecture and materials. The survival of our heritage depends on it. We have the right to beauty, we have the right to democratic architecture, architecture that does not fear the vote of citizens! Otherwise, it will only take a few generations for our heritage to be reduced to ruins, and architecture to a fig leaf for a distressing and desperate world.
Counter-project - Saint-Pierre Station - GHENT
Project by Romane Borrell
View taken from Koningin Maria Hendrikaplein
Contre-projets à l'extension de la Gare Gent-Sint-Pieters - GAND
Projet 1 par Bart Baudonck
Projet 2 par Nicolas Gmarbaix
Bart Baudonck
Nicolas Gmarbaix
Nicolas Gmarbaix
Contre-projet - Rue du Parc - LIEGE
Projet 1 par Emile Kufel
Projet 2 par Virgil Declerq
Projet 3 par Nicolas Gmarbaix
Projet 4 par Romane Borrell
Projet 5 par Benoit Blampain
Projet 6 par Tom Sticker
Projet 7 par Marco Papa
Counter-project - Rue du Paradis - LIEGE
Project 1 by Rémy Tasiaux
Project 2 by Louis Ménia
Project 3 by Quentin Heroguer
Project 4 by Alexander van Tuyll
Counter-project - Quai de Rome - LIEGE
Projet 1 par Bart Baudonck
Projet 2 par Romane Borrell
Counter-project - Place Louise - BRUSSELS
Project 1 by Conor K. Lynch
Project 2 by Zi Ken
Project 3 Herman Silvester Stinia
Project 4 by Romane Borrell
Project 5 by Victoria Schulz Daubas
Project 6 by Goran Zuric
Contre-projet - Avenue Louise - BRUXELLES
Projet 1 par Jakub Ryng
Projet 2 par Alexander van Tuyll
Projet 3 par Austen Redman
Counter-projects, Rue des Six Aunes - BRUSSELS
Project 1 by Romane Borrell
Project 2 by Herman Silvester Stinia
Counter-projects for a Carrefour storefront, avenue du Bailli - BRUSSELS
Project 1 by Emile Kufel
Project 2 by Romane Borrell
Project 3 by Régis Dumoulin
Project 4 by Marco Papa
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