MEDIA BUILDING BRUXELLES
Studio Reuse-Project with ATAMA ARCHITECTS at KU Leuven University, Gent, BE.
The existing building on Avenue des Artes consists of eight floors, all currently unused. Its structure features a grid of reinforced concrete columns, allowing for a free façade and a regular sequence of evenly spaced openings. The reuse project aims to transform the building into a Building Media, designed as a highly flexible space. Each floor has an open-plan configuration that can be adapted based on functional needs. The spaces accommodate various activities, including meeting rooms, study areas, audio and video recording studios, projection rooms, and other multimedia production spaces. The building is organized around an internal courtyard, enclosed by glass on the north side to visually integrate it into the interior. This central space becomes the Building Media Centre’s core, hosting key circulation elements such as spiral staircases, escalators, elevators, and walkways that connect the different levels. To achieve greater volumetric coherence, two additional floors are added, creating a stepped composition reminiscent of a ziggurat. The top floor houses a public restaurant, while the ground floor is also designed as an open space accessible to the city. The project embraces a dualistic character: externally, it appears rigorous and orderly, with a static and uniform rhythm, while internally, it is vibrant and dynamic, characterized by the use of diverse materials and colors. Flexibility and movement define the interior spaces, transforming the building into a lively and ever-evolving environment.