Concept: alleys as urban space
Urban concept
Buso is located in the 19th century industry-axis, alongside
the canal Mechelen – Leuven. Characteristic to the site is its location in the
middle of a building-block. Alleys provided the access. The site enclosed a big factory building,
with a number of small-added building volumes on one hand, and a dwelling with
access to the Auwegemvaart on the other hand. The exterior space was limited
and fragmentary.
The objective of the urban concept was to bring the factory-building air
and space again. In phase one, tearing down the added volumes rehabilitated the
factory building. In a second stage the garden of Auwegemvaart 19 was
expropriated in order to get one big semi-public space.
Architectural concept
The pretty closed factory building contained two floors. Here and there
breaking down roof and floors generated patios and an inner street. The
openings allow sunlight to enter the building. Stairs connect the semi-public
inner-street with the urban tissue of alleys. All loft-dwellings are accessed by way of this semi-public space.
Materiality
To emphasize the spirit of the old factory-site, the outside of the
factory is clad with panels of corten-steel. The inner walls of patios and inner street, as well as the added volumes
on top of the building, are finished with poly-carbonate panels.
So, old versus new, massive versus transparent, rough versus polished,
dark versus light.
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