DE MUNT

Renovation of the facades of The Munt Opera House in Brussels

Year ︎︎︎ 2022 - ...
Budget ︎︎︎ € 2.600.000
Status ︎︎︎ Studies
Commission ︎︎︎ Competition, 1st prize
Team ︎︎︎ ALTSTADT icw Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, Bollinger+Grohmann, Daidalos Peutz, ACTLD

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The De Munt/La Monnaie theater is an internationally renowned institution, named best opera house of the year in 2011 by the German trade magazine Opernwelt. With this façade restoration project, the intention is to make the opera house shine in the city as the contemporary institution it is. Thus, the proposal for the renovation goes further than a typical restoration project, but rather questions the role of cultural organizations in city centers.

The Munt Theater has a rich history. A history that tells the tale of the city of Brussels and, at times, of the Kingdom of Belgium. This assignment lends the ideal opportunity to make the history readable. It adds value to the experience of the special heritage by everyone who comes into contact with it from near or far. The facades are brought back to their historical "peak" composition, with stone rendering and red frames, accentuating once more the contrast between the secular building and its more recent roof extension. A series of new flagpoles on the facades signal the cultural program and integrate the lightning design.

The opera house is in a special place in Brussels but its relationship with its surroundings is limited. This proposal is looking for maximum interaction with the city. To this end, we are pulling on all the stops we can; from the architecture, the programming, the billboard, the art integration to the lighting.

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