The former DISCCA hospital dates from the 1950’s and
is remodeled to welcome the 1,200 students enrolled at Erasmus College.
The school wishes to integrate with the historical fabric of
Brussels and regroup three diverse departments that are currently located in
less central locations (communication, social & educational sciences, and
hotel & tourism)
Consisting of two distinct wings, which are
inadequately thermally insulated, the existing building looks out onto a
charming public place typical of Brussels – la place du Jardin aux Fleurs.
The renovation aims to make the existing irregular
building into a homegenous entity in close dialogue with the urban
environment : the lobby at the entrance to the new school opens generously
onto the small public place ; a large awning crowns the building and
protects the terrace of the rooftop panoramic restaurant, which replaces former
technical structures.
The zinc cladding that covers the facade give a
contemporary feel to the building and literally make it shine in the sunlight
while at the same time reducing energy consumption. The deep-set window wells
protect the wooden window frames. At the street level, pierced latticework
panels in galvanized steel protect the facade from vandalism. They also allow
the large windows to open the visual space onto the street while protecting the
view into the building from the street
and passersby. At the entrance, these same latticework panels are fixed to
movable frames that can be opened or closed depending on the time of day or any
potential risk from the street activity.
The annexes situated in the interior of the islet are
replaced by a garden situated below the level of the buildings in order to
allow light to stream in at every level : discrete bridges traverse the garden
and connect to various emergency exits.
Inside the building, the existing structures and walls
are conserved insofar as is possible, while reducing demolition work to a
strict minimum. The existing floor and wall finishes are also conserved when
possible and integrated with the new surface treatments that will be carried
out by artists.
A central zone is left open at each floor to
accommodate the large flux of students that move from the principal hall
towards the three wings of the building. The central wing accommodates communal
areas and services : reception, meeting rooms, multimedia centers, etc.
The east wing accommodates small classrooms and other offices, and the west
wing accommodates larger classrooms and auditoriums.
Two principal locations are treated with special
attention : the library situated at the lower level, and the large study
hall situated at street level combines in the same volume that is double the
height of the other floors. They are in
direct contact with the vegetation of the interior garden so as to enhance an
atmosphere of calm, inspiration and harmony favorable to concentration. In
contrast, the cafeteria, situated on the rooftop looks out on the hub and flow
of the urban activity below. It’s an area of free social interactivity that
opens onto a large wooden terrace. A glass awning provides protection from rain
and sun, while crowning the facade itself.
The stairwells are modified to conform to current
regulations :- the
original stairs on the east facade are conserved ;- at
the back facade an elevator cage, which is useless for the new function of the
building, is demolished and replaced by a large stairway that overhangs the
interior garden;- at
the end of the west wing, the existing stairs are widened and distanced from
the walls and replaced by an ensemble of galvanized steel latticework in order
to provide a natural lightwell during the day, and a luminous column that
lights the street side at night;- at
the end of the east wing, exterior stairways fulfill conformity to current fire
prevention regulations.
Each of the three principal stairways lead to exterior
alleyways that intersect and allow the students to reach the garden directly
from every level of the building.
The enclosure wall in the interior garden can be covered
with temporary murals renewed every three to six years in symbiosis with the
dynamic life of the Erasmus
College.
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