AHI Architectural Heritage Intervention

“Contributing to enhancing our heritage, as the way forward for 21 st Century architecture is our raison d’être; to emphasize a diverse, rich vision that necessarily complements the intervention is our mission, and achieving it with reflexive and purposeful efforts is the challenge”.

This project, founded in, and directed since, 2011 by Ramon Calonge, Oriol Cusidó, Marc Manzano and Jordi Portal, architects and members of the Group of Architects for the Defence and Intervention in Architectural Heritage (AADIPA), has, through the years become a platform that includes four actions that are both independent and transversal.
 
The European Award, a biennial event that brings together and showcases the multiple approaches of intervention in Europe.

The International Biennial, a framework that serves to compare and gain closer insight of quality interventions in architectural heritage in non-European countries.

The digital Archive, a live and open window that provides a panoramic view of interventions in the history of our surroundings.

The Forum, a meeting place where you can participate in on-going debates about the main preoccupations and lines of thought about interventions in architectural heritage in Europe.

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Royale Belge

  • Royale Belge
  • Royale Belge
  • Royale Belge
  • Royale Belge

The former headquarters of the Royale Belge insurance company is a fine example of 60s corporate architecture, designed by architects R. Stapels and P. Dufau. Its unique setting, transparent glass base, cross-shaped tower, Corten structure and bronze-colored glass façades have made Royale Belge a true landmark in Brussels’ architectural landscape. The city and the owners instigated a transformation project that incorporated a mix of uses (conference facilities, offices, co-working spaces, a hotel, health club and a restaurant). The renovation focuses on minimal intervention to the protected building through small but significant alterations that enable it to fulfil its new purpose. To facilitate access and usability, a new vertical hall is created at the junction of the shared spaces from the ground floor to level 2. Mirroring the auditorium in shape and proportion, this new circulation nucleus brings light into a dark part of the building and binds together the glass base (0 and +1) with the cross-shaped tower (+2 to +10).

Category

Built heritage

Edition

7
Shortlisted

Year

2023

Author

Caruso St John Architects
Peter St John

Bovenbouw Architectuur
Dirk Somers

DDS+
Didier Peremans

MA2
Francis Metzger

Project team

Benjamin Wells (Caruso St John Architects), Wim Boesten (Bovenbouw Architectuur), Karel Lindemans (DDS+), Pierre-Yves Vilette (MA2)

External collaborators

Developer: Souverain 25(CORES-URBICOON-FORESITE-APE) represented by Nicolas Billen & Benoît De Landsheer
Project manager: Protec (Franck De Snoeck)
Regional public authority: URBAN.brussels (Thierry Wauters)
Landscape architect: Atelier EOLE Paysagistes (Anne-Marie Sauvat)
Structural engineer: Ellyps NV
Energy advisor:Bureau Bouwtechniek
Acoustic engineer: Macobo-Stabo
Health&Safety engineer: VETO & Partners
General contractor: CIT Blaton

City

Brussels

Country

Belgium

Surface area sqm

80.000

Cost €

75.000.000

Client

Private
Souverain 25

Original Programme

Office

Programme

Mixed Use

© Photographer

Marc Detiffe, Mireille Roobaert

Períod

Modern Architecture

Type of intervention

Transformation

Level of intervention

Total / Integral