Delphine Fresing
La Maison Eulenburg. ULiège (Belgium)
In the historical heart of Manderfeld, the Eulenburg’s House dating from the nineteenth century was used as the village’s school, explaining the presence of a courtyard in front of the property. The name “Eulenburg” comes from the fact the teacher used to raise owls in the attic.
Today, the house belongs to a lady living in Köln, she rents it to tourists or friends. Qualified as a “group house” or “recreation house”. The inhabitants of the village, to whom the school incarnates their childhood, don’t have a direct contact with it anymore. This confers the building a mysterious aspect. The house is retreated behind walls and massive vegetation. The main objective is to reconnect the school with the rest of the village.
The demand from the owner is to allow people with reduced mobility inside the house. The constraints gave birth to a richer program reconnected to the street that would complete the one offered by the existing and functioning house. But this is private area, on the contrary, the new building will be accessible to anyone at any time.
Four spaces, with different dimensions, orientations and lightning are defined by topography, joint ownership and are articulated around a vertical circulation node, including reduced mobility people. Allowing the building to welcome all sorts of activities like creative workshops (one of the main demand from the inhabitants of the village) dance lessons, night classes, conferences, … The first floor, raising above the courtyard offers a scenic effect that can be used for concerts or representations to gather people inside the courtyard.
The next door co-working project – which is in visual contact - and the intervention on the Eulenburg’s house wish to contribute to reinforce the cultural attraction, the social link, and the economic activity of the heart of Manderfeld.
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