PALMERSTON
Competition project for the reconversion of an office building, previously 5 historic mansions, into housing.Team ︎︎︎ ALTSTADT icw LDSRa, Büro Juliane Greb, Jan Minne
Phase ︎︎︎ Competition
Surface ︎︎︎ 5.660m²
Budget ︎︎︎ 8.800.000€
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The Palmerston 6-14 complex is located within the protection zone of the listed monument Maison van Eetvelde by architect Victor Horta, as well as within the protection zone of the listed urban landscape of the Squares in Brussels.
Unlike the Leopold District, where the neoclassical façade dominates, the Squares district is characterized by a mix of Belle Époque styles. The variety of styles—eclectic, neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance, Art Nouveau, and Empire—creates a diverse and colorful whole, fully aligned with the vision that architect G. Bordiau put forward in 1875. In his urban planning concept, he included front gardens to allow for extensions and bay windows without sacrificing living space, all in order to create a lively architectural environment.
The row of houses at Palmerstonlaan 6-14 evolved in different phases into the office complex we know today.
As part of the Cityforward project, which aims to counteract monofunctionality in the European Quarter, this complex will be repurposed into residential units. A new building is planned on Eburonenlaan, connected through a green oasis.
This project is a collective and sustainable endeavor centered around a central garden with a flowing water landscape, which interacts with the built environment through terraces, hanging gardens, and a green roof. The diversity of outdoor spaces and the associated reduction of paved surfaces contribute to a biodiverse ecosystem.
The restoration of several distinctive architectural elements, such as the cornices, the original entrance doors, the Art Nouveau windows, and the bay windows, will make the five original houses legible again. These interventions evoke the historical visual identity and restore the residential quality and vibrancy of the Squares district.
The interiors are designed to create a flexible layout and a variety of housing typologies. These include a residence spanning three floors, preserving the richness of the interiors, units with double-height spaces facing the central garden, as well as units with one or more sleeping areas that extend from façade to façade to enhance permeability. This principle is continued in the units on Eburonenlaan, which are connected by the collective garden.
