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Today, it appears unchanged from the outside. But an entirely new building has been inserted within the existing footprint. Twenty-first century white cube galleries have been incorporated into the original structure, increasing the exhibition space by 40%. — The Art Newspaper
Following a major 11-year-long, $96 million restoration led by Rotterdam-based firm KAAN Architecten, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) finally reopened in Belgium. Photo: Karin Borghouts KAAN Architecten’s work combined a renovation of the 19th-century neoclassical museum building... View full entry
An influential figure in the realm of ecological design is being mourned after Le Monde reported the death of Belgian architect Lucien Kroll in Brussels on August 2nd at the age of 95. The Atelier Kroll co-founder will be remembered for his foundational work in the arenas of green building and... View full entry
A transformed brownfield site in Ghent’s historic central core has been revealed, showcasing BOGDAN & VAN BROECK’s vision for a “world in itself” set amongst industrial ruins and characterized by what it calls “lockdown-compatible” living. The factory building had sat unoccupied since... View full entry
Unlike the toxic culture of open international competitions, which see countless architects waste days of unpaid labour to compete in a beauty contest of novelty forms, the Open Call is focused – and paid. The democratic process has seen Pritzker prize winners drawn alongside recent graduates, unheard-of elsewhere. Unlikely as it may seem, the scheme has made this small part of northern Belgium home to some of the best new public buildings in the world. — The Guardian
The Guardian critic used Florian Heilmeyer’s new book, Celebrating Public Architecture: Buildings from the Open Call in Flanders 2000–2021, as a means of introduction to the system that was first enacted in 2000. Heilmeyer’s aim is to advance the notion that it “prove[s] that... View full entry
Workers in Belgium will soon be able to choose a four-day week under a series of labour market reforms announced on Tuesday. The reform package agreed by the country's multi-party coalition government will also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours without fear of reprisal. — Euronews
Belgium’s new labor reforms aim to improve the work-life balance of employees in both the public and private sectors. Workers in the gig economy will receive stronger legal protections and full-time employees will be able to work more flexible schedules. As reported by Euronews, employees will... View full entry
Located in the Belgian countryside, the recently completed Crematorium Sisegem has been designed by KAAN Architecten as a peaceful oasis. In Belgium, crematoria typically have a more complex programming than in other countries and are commonly used as spaces for gathering, enjoying a meal, and... View full entry
Utopia, the Library and Academy for Performing Arts, has recently opened in it's new building designed by KAAN Architecten. Located in Aalst, Belgium, the brick structure incorporates a historic school building from 1880 embedded within. Utopia by KAAN Architecten, located in Aalst, Belgium... View full entry
Over the weekend, the famous tourist town of Bruges—known for its enchanting canals, Belgian chocolate, and starring role in the movie In Bruges—kicked off the second edition of its Contemporary Art and Architecture Triennial. Themed Liquid City | Vloeibare stad, the event has returned with... View full entry
Belgian maker of architectural prefabricated concrete elements, Enjoy Concrete, show us how the product can be the architecture in its most beautiful sense: when the company was in need of a new industrial facility in the small town of Veurne, they partnered with Govaert & Vanhoutte Architects... View full entry
The city of Brussels has experienced an energy revolution in the last ten years, transforming the Belgian capital into a model for the passive house movement. As a result of the regional government’s 2009 decision to fully embrace passive constructions, the city has become one the most... View full entry
The next International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) will be split in two parts, the first held in 2018 and the second in 2020. Appropriately dubbed IABR—2018+2020, it will be based in both the Netherlands and Belgium and use “the world as its source of inspiration”. This follows in... View full entry
The glistening Port House in Antwerp is Zaha Hadid's latest project to be completed posthumously. But the glass building isn't mere folly. Built atop a disused historic fire station, the striking landmark operates as the new headquarters for the Port of Antwerp, Europe's second largest port.ZHA... View full entry
Only one of the new buildings is ready, its centrepiece artwork had to be dismantled after bits fell off – and people are more excited about getting their first Ikea. [...]
A €155m new station, designed by Santiago Calatrava as a swooping sci-fi bird, is so far no more than a concrete foundation slab. It replaces a much-loved 1950s station by a local architect, and it’s now optimistically scheduled to open in 2018, having escalated to four times its original budget.
— theguardian.com
Related: Libeskind opens his latest building in Belgium today. Is it a snooze? View full entry
In 2015, Libeskind’s brand of Deconstructivism (and all varieties of Deconstructivism, one might argue) amounts to a familiar, dull architecture; a calcified formal language whose shock-factor and novelty has worn away. One would hope that Libeskind, as a leading architectural practitioner, could at least try to articulate a new agenda in the experimental vein of his earlier work. Alas — as the Mons International Conference Xperience shows — that’s not the case. — blouinartinfo.com
The Jane restaurant in the Groen Kwartier of Antwerp still brandishes the now-trendy artisanal interior of the military hospital chapel it once was. Throughout the entire design process, Michelin Star Chef Sergio Herman and Nick Bril closely collaborated with Dutch practice Piet Boon Architects... View full entry
