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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. City Council Education Service in Antwerp, Belgium by HUBNovember 29th, 2020 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: HUB Thanks to its central position on the Leien – the inner ring road – the building for the headquarters of the city council’s education service is located beside one of Antwerp’s core structural urban design elements and traffic arteries.  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert
 Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert The design, which comprises the complete reconversion of an existing 1970s office block, seeks to connect – despite the anomalous morphology of the existing structure – with the historic buildings along the Leien. This is achieved via a subtle three-part intervention – plinth, middle section and superstructure – and an intermediate cornice that matches the height of the adjoining buildings. The building has a public floor with a reception area, learning centre and cafeteria. Together with the offices and the meeting centre, these unite the various different divisions of the city council’s education service. The renovation comprises a series of clear interventions:  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert The existing concrete shell was retained and combined with a new, sustainable façade constructed from prefabricated wooden infill elements (in line with NZE norms) that were clad in lightweight anodised folded aluminium. The cladding is the same shade as the historic buildings in natural stone; Flexible floorplans around a central core, in line with the ‘New Way of Working’; The greening and partial clearance of the inner area with a new roof garden above the existing car park; A new superstructure on the roof, constructed from CLT, with public meeting rooms that allow optimal enjoyment of the view. The existing building was stripped down to its concrete shell. The new façade adopts the rhythm of the underlying slim concrete piers. In addition, a three-part structure – base, middle section and superstructure – was inserted, together with an intermediate cornice which matches the height of the adjoining buildings.  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert The new façade comprises prefabricated wooden elements that were inserted between the concrete piers. These were subsequently clad in refined and detailed folded aluminium. The skin, which has a circular construction, contributes to achieving the NZE norms for the building. The ground floor and first floor together form a public and collective base. The entrance hall, a learning centre, meeting rooms and a cafeteria comprise a programmatic ensemble that is oriented towards both the street and the roof garden. The latter is directly linked to the cafeteria. The standard floors are divided into open zones with hot desks and closed boxes for concentrated workspaces/ team rooms. The central core houses a spacious kitchenette/living room, a workshop room, the toilet facilities and the circulation.  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © Stijn Bollaert  Image Courtesy © David Jacobs
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