Visits organized on Friday 21 October

Two parallel tours are scheduled on Friday October 21 morning.

Tour 1

9.00 AM : Meet us at the Royal Library
9.15 AM : Departure for the Veterinary School
9:45 AM : Arrival at the Veterinary School
10.30 AM : Gathering for the second visit
10:45 AM : Departure for the second visit: Wiels
11.00 AM : Arrival at Wiels
11.45 AM : Gathering
12.00 PM : Departure for the Royal Library

Tour 2

8.45 AM : Meet us at the Royal Library
9.00 AM : Departure for Ieder Zijn Huis
9:45 AM : Arrival at Ieder Zijn Huis
10.30 AM : Gathering for the second visit
10:45 AM : Departure for the second visit: VUB
11.00 AM : Arrival at the VUB
12.00 PM : Gathering
12.15 PM : Departure for the Royal Library

The Veterinary School

The Veterinary School is a complex of 19 buildings in Flemish neo-renaissance style, built between 1903 and 1919 in the district of Cureghem (Anderlecht). The site and the buildings, which were given a protected status in 1990, have been subject to renovation projects for several years.

The renovation works in the main building, in which a Business-incubator will be located, started in 2015. Within the study at the root of the energy performance enhancement, the impact of interior insulation on the existing façade was assessed. The interventions were carried out on the basis of the findings; the proper preservation of the existing wall facing, made of natural stone and bricks, is guaranteed.

Wiels

At the corner of Avenue Van Volxem/Van Volxemlaan and Avenue du Pont de Luttre/Luttrebruglaan stands a concrete building that combines the stylistic aspects of Art Deco with industrial functionalism, a vestige of the brewing activities of Wielemans-Ceuppens. The building was designed in 1930 by architect Adrien Blomme who conceived it as a veritable shop window to display the prosperity of the company to passers-by. After lying empty for several years, a restoration, in keeping with the original, carried out between 1997 and 2005, returned the site to how it once looked.

Today, the site of the former breweries represents a model for successful industrial heritage restoration projects: the Adrien Blomme building is now home to WIELS, a contemporary art centre of international repute, and the former tank room houses a cultural centre and a library. The project has been carried respecting the original architecture.

Ieder Zijn Huis

This complex of 105 social housing units was built between 1959 and 1961 by architect Willy Van der Meeren in collaboration with his colleague Leon Palm. The building rests on concrete pillars and the apartments are accessible through internal streets’ servicing every three floors. The porches were cast on site, but all the other elements (facade, floors, stairs, etc.) were prefabricated. Their dimensions are inspired by the ‘Modulor- system’ developed by Le Corbusier. Van der Meeren is known for his rationalist and economic architecture based on industrialization, standardization and modulation, which sets it apart from the first generation of modernists.

This apartment building is a reference in the Belgian architecture and is frequently cited as an examplary case. In the course of 2012 Beliris launched an extensive renovation to adapt the building to current standards of energy efficiency, safety and comfort.

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

At the end of the 1960s, the former Plaine des Manœuvres was chosen as the site for the extensions for two new linguistic entities belonging to Brussels Free University. 20 ha was allotted to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), at the edge of Boulevard Général Jacques/Generaal Jacqueslaan. The academic authorities built an entire series of buildings on the site. These included the Education Authority building, the plans for which were drawn up by Renaat Braem.

In the form of an oblong ellipse which, according to the architect, “is more in harmony with the work of natural forces”, this 75 m long, 15 m wide building is home to a collection of offices arranged in a ring around a central core. An undulating canopy, reminiscent of the Le Corbusier style, is appended to this symbolic form alluding to the most elementary of scientific truths. The Education Authority building was constructed between 1971 and 1978. Renaat Braem also contributed to the design of Cité Modèle in Laeken and the headquarters of Glaverbel in Watermael-Boistfort. (Listed 27/09/2007)