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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Cultural center and Library ‘De Factorij’ in Zaventem, Belgium by ebtca architectenNovember 3rd, 2019 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: ebtca architecten Site The former Suchard factory site in Zaventem was transformed into the “The Factory” cultural site which is intended to lend the town centre a whole new look. The Suchard site is a long stretch of terrain; a ‘lost’ piece of land situated between the backs of the stores on Stationstraat and the houses on Seliersstraat and the railway on the other side. This site was also subject to a strict “BPA” (special development plan). The development of this site was a surefire socio-cultural injection for the town centre. The bordering presence of the academy with its green surroundings and gorgeous trees broadened and enhanced this site and will make it the green anchoring point leading to the town. The entire project developed into one masterplan: ‘culture site Suchard’. Programme In addition to a library, The Factory also features a large theatre with 679 seats and a multifunctional hall. The main building has a large foyer, a cultural cafe, a dance and ballet hall and rehearsal spaces for music and recitals, party halls, catering, exhibition rooms, conference and meeting rooms and artists’ residences on top of the administrative areas. The playhouse itself is equipped with a full-fledged theatre, theatre storage spaces and studios as well as a mobile orchestra pit (with elevator) for an orchestra of approx. 30 musicians.  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet
 Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet Design Optimal budget management begins with determining the right location and the first outlines for the design. Taking the vibration measurements of the railway into account, the theatre was planned to be situated at a minimal distance of 60 metres from the tracks. Unnecessary insulation and foundation costs were avoided this way. Thanks to the long-stretched terrain, this was made entirely possible. The zone that was made available due to this is ideal for above-ground parking with a capacity of 64 cars. The BPA refers to expropriations of the Heldenplein and a passage through the middle of Stationstraat. This passage connects to ‘the promenade’ in the surrounding greenery. The presence of the restaurants located on the Heldenplein perfectly supplements the site as a whole. The masterplan offers room for terraces on the promenade so that the current backsides of the buildings can develop to become new fronts. This will not only meet the requirements for a maximum building height of 8m but for acoustic purposes it was decided to make the hall partially underground according to the ‘box in a box’ principle.  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet Shell Shape What is truly unique about the design is that half of the concert hall is underground. This, because of the maximum building height of 8m on the one hand, and on the other hand, this work method offered advantages in the acoustic characteristics of the the theatre hall and those living in the surrounding area will not experience any noise nuisance. In searching for the most perfect acoustic shape, the design evolved into a shellshaped hall which also happens to create a sense of security. This distinct shape can also be perceived in the adjoining areas; the entrance, the reception, the bar, the cafeteria and the foyer. This lends the entire site a wonderful clarity and serves its simple accessibility; also for the disabled; as the building mainly spans two floors. This specific shell shape also happens to maximise the use of natural daylight. The ‘box in a box’ principle allows the hall to utilise the natural daylight so that no artificial lighting will be required for rehearsals and performances during the day. The underground foyer is also designed to fill with natural daylight; on the one hand with northern light that is filtered down via ‘the shell’; ideal for art exhibits, and on the other hand, via the patio that connects in one glowing motion to Lambertstraat and the green promenade. This not only illuminates the foyer with natural air and light, but also beautifully  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet interacts with its surroundings. The main entrance of the cultural centre, the library and the Culture Department is situated here and also benefits from the abundance of natural daylight. The location of the public library leaves a lot available space for this expansive glowing movement. At Lambertstraat, the façade increases in volume so that the building is quite evident and the main entrance serves as a visual point of attraction. Thanks to the conscious interplay of volumes, throughout the entire complex, the various departments can function independently without bothering each other. The zoning of public, semi-public and private terrains is strictly monitored and these seamlessly connect to one another so that unnecessary circulation is avoided.  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet Here, social control of the private areas is always taken into account and optimally ensured with the necessary staffing. The central location of certain functions permits social use so that there is no need for “dual” areas. This makes the entire site highly multifunctional and easy to transform according to need. The centrally located culture cafe is the hub between the cultural events and the new municipal library that is also part of the building programme in this cultural centre. The pronounced shape intended to eliminate any superfluous elements and high energy costs forms the basis of this design. The approach was further expressed with the corresponding disciplines of stability, acoustics and highly specific techniques. An above-ground parking lot for 82 vehicles connects to the cultural centre as there was sufficient parking capacity available in the immediate surroundings of the site (Willem Lambertstraat and the library square). The design also takes into account a later construction phase to build an underground parking garage in two levels for a total capacity of 143 vehicles and directly connected to the first floor of the cultural centre, which also houses the multifunctional party/convention hall.  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet Focus On Green The modest location of the public library also seamlessly connects to the environment. The library leans, as it were, against the remaining facades of the Suchard factory but it leaves room for the new architectural design with a striking copper-coloured facade cladding at the same time. The green environment broadens and enhances the bordering academy as a green anchoring point heading towards the town centre. Additional techniques have also been implemented in focusing on ‘green’. Green roofs cover the entire surface of the theatre, heating and cooling has been supplied via the use of geothermal energy, rain water is captured in infiltration basins and the roof is built of eco-bitumen. This material limits CO2 emissions and in doing so, has the impact of lowering the overall ecological footprint of the roof. The white reflective mineral also results in an improved air quality throughout the entire building.  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet Showcase Of Sustainability Thanks To The Hybrid Solution The underlying philosophy behind the overall design falls within the context of sustainable construction: to use energy responsibly and develop new ideas that utilise minimal means to achieve an honest result. The municipality of Zaventem wanted to set the example for what future construction should look like. Because the need for heating and cooling for this project was immense, geothermal energy was the ideal solution. Implementing this was quite a task, of course, considering the level of energy consumption. Geothermal energy yields quite few pus points which enable the use of more glass in the design. What’s more, cooling and heating can occur without all those expensive machines, and this more than compensates the use of glass. Even though a combination of concrete core activation gives the best results, it was decided not to do this. This led to some acoustic problems. That is why we opted for other low temperature delivery systems in the form of lowered climate ceilings and floor heating/cooling. Quick response radiators and convectors hereby absorb the variable peak loads. Dynamic simulations of the subsurface and the design offered guarantees in terms of the capacity that could be retrieved from the ground and the minimum/maximum delivery temperatures throughout the different seasons. A hybrid system of geothermal energy and condensed gas boilers, with a short payback period of only thirteen years, was therefore the ideal solution. Considering the limited drilling depth allowed, relatively many probes were installed: 107 in total. The probes were connected in groups of four and connected to a collector, which thereby could be limited in size. A heating pump was connected to the geothermal energy system. This can provide 60% of the heating need. The remaining amount can be compensated for with gasfired condensation boilers.  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Fine Cools  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet  Image Courtesy © Dennis De Smet
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Categories: Convention Center, Cultural Center, Library |
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