SCIENCE 11
Historic study and valorisation, restoration and renovation of two historical mansions integrated in a modern office building.Team ︎︎︎ ALTSTADT icw OFFICE KGDVS, LD2, vk-architects-engineers, CES Engineering
Phase ︎︎︎ Building permit
Surface ︎︎︎ 11.000m²
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Science 11 is a contemporary office building connected to two historic townhouses at the corner of Belliardstraat and Wetenschapsstraat in Brussels. The project has three main objectives: preserving the 19th-century ensemble as a relic of the Leopold Quarter, improving the relationship between the office building and the townhouses, and reactivating the historical interiors.
A targeted intervention in the coach passage of Belliard 39 addresses three level differences with the addition of a ramp and a new staircase, ensuring full accessibility from the main entrance and circulation axis of the office building. Another intervention extends the grand staircase to the upper floors, transforming it into a functional circulation core. This new staircase contrasts with the original, which is adorned with imitation paintings up to level +1. A light, elegant addition, naturally illuminated from above, completes the connection.
The decorated period rooms, featuring imitation paintings, will be carefully restored to reinstate them as a valuable part of the office ensemble. By balancing architectural heritage with contemporary functionality, the project enhances the coherence of the site while preserving its layered history.
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As part of the Millennium project in the 1990s, the heritage buildings were encapsulated by a massive office structure. The numerous connections between the office and the townhouses resulted in a fragmented circulation. The new proposal clearly defines three distinct architectural entities, each expressed in the façades. Unnecessary links between the buildings are removed, while a revised circulation layout within the townhouses restores their original spatial integrity.
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