Gebruiker:Sien Van Kerkhoven/Kladblok
Le Toison d'Or[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
Le Toison d'Or is a hybridization of a traditional building-block typology and a mixed-use development with a retail podium, that fronts a whole city block along the Avenue de la Toison d’Or in uptown Brussels, the most fashionable part of the city. The mixed-use complex stands out in the urban fabric of its surroundings, whilst simultaneously merging a retail and residential programme. The upper levels of the project contain 84 apartments (72 new build and 12 created within three renovated houses on Rue des Chevaliers). Further it contains a 1,040 m² crèche, 330 parking spaces and an elevated city garden of 2,950 m².
These are the first newly built residential units created down the boulevard in over fifty years. The design aims to create a link between the chaotic mix of mid- and low-rise urban city blocks at this major crossroad. The organic forms of the huge V-shaped portals beside the façades are not just an internal part of the structure of the building, but also a linking element between the lower retail levels and the residential levels above.
History[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
Jaspers-Eyers is a Belgian architectural firm, receiving most of the projects in Brussels. The association around Michel Jaspers and John Eyers is responsible for the appearance of almost all the high-rise buildings in the North District of Brussels. One of Michel Jaspers' sons joined the association. In their designs, community, context and environment are central.
UNStudio is an architectural firm based in Amsterdam. The office was founded in 1988 by architect Ben van Berkel and art historian Caroline Bos under the name Van Berkel en Bos Architectenbureau. In 1998, it was given its current name, which stands for United Network, with which the office wishes to emphasize that it forms a network of specialists in the field of architecture, urban planning and infrastructure.
Other work of Jaspers-Eyers in Belgium:
- Brussels, 1988: Proximus towers
- Brussels, 2006: Lexbuilding
- Brussels, 2006: Rogiertower
Other work of UNStudio in Belgium:
- Antwerp, 2009: Coordination center
- Brussels, 2011: Brussels airport connector
Architecture[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
Façade[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
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The facade of Le Toison d’Or is broken up by means of variations in texture, depth and the repeating rhythm of a series of curved vertical frames. These frames serve to enclose the balconies of the apartments on the upper floors, whilst also facilitating the large display windows of the retail units. In contrast to the vertical articulation of the street facade, the facades surrounding the elevated courtyard garden follow a horizontal arrangement. Here generously proportioned balconies provide a more tranquil experience of city life.
The structure of the complex is made up of a combination of concrete and steel. The facade is partly covered with natural stone (Portuguese granite) and partly with glass fibre reinforced concrete elements. The straight windows contain triple glazing; the curved windows have double glazing. The Apple Store is equipped with a structural glass facade. The exterior joinery, the parapets and the decorative elements on the facade consist of anodized aluminium.
Layering[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
To avoid the monolithic character of the standard building block, the facade of Le Toison d'Or is layered and fragmented. The frames enclose the balconies of the apartments, the interspaces at the level of the plinth provide large glass surfaces for the shops. “We thought it was important that the stores were as open and as light as possible. We also wanted to create a contrast with the apparent solidity of the upper floors,” says architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio. “We deliberately created the illusion that the vertical balloon-shaped frames carry the building. This makes it seem as if the entire block has the potential to float above the boulevard.”
Interior[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
The apartments in Le Toison d’Or vary in size from small to large, enabling a varied demographic of city residents. To ensure high levels of daylight in the interiors, the floor to ceiling heights reach at least 2.7 meters in living areas. For the apartments situated along the Avenue de la Toison d’Or, this height increases to more than 3 meters. Open kitchens in the form of large furniture elements create an informal entertaining space in the heart of the apartments and determine the circulation through the spaces.
According to a quote on the website of Dezeen, studio principal Ben van Berkel explained "It was important that the retail units be as open and light as possible,".[1] His portfolio also includes Rotterdam's Erasmus Bridge and the new Arnhem station.
Prizes[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
Finalist of a MIPIM award 2016 in the department of 'Best residential development'
Le Toison d'Or just missed out on an international award. The project was nominated for a Mipim Award in the category 'best residential project'. Architectural firm Jaspers-Eyers even had a chance to win a Mipim award twice. His design of the Paradis Express in Liège had been nominated in the category best future project. Both buildings were also in the running for the Mipim People's Choice Award. Unfortunately, they were only finalists and did not win any awards.
European Property Awards 2016: winner in category "Best mixed-use Architecture Belgium"
Jaspers-Eyers[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
Community, context and environment[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
An example of putting the community and the context central is the European Parliament. This building contains mostly offices and is build for the people who work there, not necessarily people who live there. According to an article on Bral, Jaspers-Eyers builds a lot of offices in Europe. They explain why they are very dismissive of their projects in the consultation committee: "that doesn't take away that it's a bad project. The continuous demolition and reconstruction of office buildings that are too recent is unacceptable. In addition, like the Van Maerlant project, it is a strong deviation from the urban planning rules."[2]
Does this mean Jaspers-Eyers is a architect who is involved with the term Brusselization? If you read the article on heritage in Brussels, this may change your mind on the case and makes you question the involvement of the context.
"After the Second World War, ambitious architectural and urban planning interventions in Brussels strongly designed and coloured, and therefore also transformed. The belief in progress and innovation at the time made that during roughly one generation many neighbourhoods changed beyond recognition and a new skyline emerged. Apart from protests about the so-called Brusselization, by zooming in on the specific context, we want to show that despite the arguable or unquestionable views that underlying it, it goes for valuable architectural heritage with strong future potential."
To take this back to Le Toison d'Or, the community or city associations had been protesting against the building permit. According to Bruzz[3] they demanded fewer parking spaces and 30% public housing. The architect did not listen to the protesters and started working on their original design immediately after they received the permit.
Jaspers-Eyers is also working on integrating sustainability and green spaces into their projects, in other words they are environmentally oriented. They think about the use of sustainable materials and try to integrate plants and greenery. When we look at Le Toison d'Or, we see plants and greenery coming back into the design of the courtyard, but the use of materials is not mentioned on the websites of the architects, which may mean that they could not include this kind of sustainability/environmental use in their project.
Websites to look at pictures[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
Also see[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
External Links[bewerken | brontekst bewerken]
- ↑ (en) Frearson, Amy, Dezeen. UNStudio's first building in Belgium features a stone facade and golden balconies. / (21 januari 2016). Geraadpleegd op 6 mei 2022.
- ↑ Geens, Hilde, Bral. Atenor en Jaspers bouwen nog meer kantoren voor EU. Bral vzw (14 maart 2012). Geraadpleegd op 23 mei 2022.
- ↑ LV, BRUZZ. Vergunning voor woon- en winkelcomplex Toison d'Or. BRUZZ (28 november 2012). Geraadpleegd op 23 mei 2022.