Margo van de Broek
Ceci n'est pas une tour. UHasselt (Belgium).
The empty parking lots surrounding the Cegeka arena in Genk were my source of inspiration as a “lost location”. From historical research we learn that the landscape of Genk looked very different not so long ago. Painters came from far away to immortalize the picturesque landscape on canvas. The explosive takeover of that same landscape by the mining industry has left its scars, not entirely for the better.
The driving force for my design can be summarized as follows: “How can my project contribute to the restoration of the landscape and create an opportunity to experience the beauty of the environment as it was centuries ago?”.
Replacing the vast parking area by a vertical element with a small footprint allows for a large surface to be given back to nature. Additionally, the design offers different viewpoints to admire the surrounding natural beauty from a new perspective. The positive impact of softening the terrain by replacing paved parking lots by vegetation on water management is a significant surplus.
To test the intelligence of the structure, various scenarios were developed to demonstrate how the building can evolve and adapt, both in the short and long term. The heart of the structure, where public functions such as a theatre are located, plays the leading role here. Various platforms of the tower can be joined together using sliding windows, creating flexibility as needed to temporarily extend or modify the inner space of the tower.
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