The emmanation of the commons: architecture in a city without majorities By Patrick Moyersoen & Jasmien Wouters TREENESTS
Goran Schuerman campus Sint-Lucas Brussel, Kuleuven 1ste master architectuur, Marb 24 academic year 2021-2022
CONTENT
INTRO PHASE 1
Reading the site Objective Tectonic proposals
PHASE 2
Groupwork
PHASE 3
Elaboration tectonical proposition Resaerch structure Determining the right dimentions Handle the structure to realize the concept
An architectural proposal for a shared space in a city without mayorities
The studio is about Make and remake, trial and error Possibilities more than solutions An architecture that appeals the commons Contemporary Brussels, between the has been and the upcoming Tangible architecture Personality
The studio’s approach was devided in 3 phases with each its interests:
PHASE 1 Presence in the city landscape individual
PHASE 2 (re)Defining common ground in group
PHASE 3 Make it tangible individual
The studio will be more about the journey than the destination On one hand pick our fights and invest them thoroughly and on the other hand, make assumptions, right or wrong, and stick to them.
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site Objective Tectonic proposals
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
BOTANIQUE Botanique site is called after the Botanical Park that is located at the intersection between the north-south connection and the small ring of brussels. This makes it a very important point for the circulation in Brussels. As a result, it is very busy.
The site is also the connection between the center of Brussels and the adjacent neighbourhood schearbeek, devided by the big urban highway called Boulevard du Jardin Botanique. Both sides have a lot of different activities and communities, but these are considerably separated by the presence of this circulation node, which also completely encloses the Botanical Park.
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
border deviding the city
BOTANIQUE - Boulevard du Jardin Botanique
sealing the parc
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
I was fascinated to see how all these roads converge in one point and how this determines the whole spatiality of the site.
tunnel inner rin groad of Brusse ls
Avenue Saint-Lazare
Boulevard du Ja rdin Botanique
At this point (A), the tunnel of the inner ringroad of Brussels comes briefly above ground at the level of the Boulevard du Jardin Botanique because the avenue Saint-Lazare passes underneath it, after which it dives back underground. All this to avoid interrupting the north-south train connection, one level lower than avenue Saint-Lazare.
A
CIRCULATION NODE
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
SIGHT AXES
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
STATEMENT - Subject of the towers The Botanical Park is totally surrounded by big towers who emprison the park and covers it with shadows.
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
HISTORY
Boulevard du Jardin Botanique - 1930
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
HISTORY
Eralier stage of the Botanical Park - 1930
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
HISTORY
The Botanical Park was created as a convivial park that was open and invited people to visit it. It was much more open than it is today. It merged as a nice glue to connect the neighbourhood of schearbeek an this of the city centre.
When they built the tunnel they removed a couple of entrances and started enclosing the park and deviding the neighbourhoods. The park has been more and more enclosed ever since with each tower that was built there as a bar to its isolation.
‘The creation of the border’
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Reading the site
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Objective
Everthing comes together on this point, still everything is so disconnected. Botanical Park is totally closed off, almost hidden. It has a lot af qualities which are being suppressed by the functional structures and towers.
My objective is to break this border to reconnect the city and to open up the Botanical Park to improve its qualities.
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
We had to make charcoal sections of our early ideas during the 3 first courses. It was intended to explore volumetrically how you would address the common spaces of the site. I my case it was was more a conceptual research.
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
Another tower... but this one is part of the park. This one takes as a statement to give the park back its place between the towers, by being a vertical extension of the park.
It also gives the people a place between these private towers that seem untouchable.
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
The idea of a vortex to attract people to one place. The place where everything is comes together. To reconnect the surroundings on the spot that is currently the biggest disconnecting factor.
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
Bringing people together with sound
PHASE 1: Presence in the city lab Tectonical propositions
PHASE 2: (re)Defining common ground
Groupwork with Zühal Pau
PHASE 2: re(Defining) common ground
MIDWINTER
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Elaboration tectonical proposition Resaerch structure Determining the right dimentions Handle the structure to realize the concept
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Elaboration tectonical proposition
Creating an ‘open’ tower with a light steel structure.
Vertical lines create a discussion with the finance tower.
Avenue Saint-Lazare loses its fucntion as a road and becomes an entree of the Botanical Park.
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Elaboration tectonical proposition
Cutting through the hill to create a connection for the pedestrain and bicycles with the tunnel.
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Research structure
Combining the steel main structure with wooden beams to create the ‘promenade’ and ‘nests’, which will be the vertical extension of the park.
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Research structure
Searching techniques to attach the wooden beams on the steel columns.
Inspired on Kengo Kuma & Associates
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Research structure
CHIDORI technique
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Research structure
Kengo Kuma & Associates GC Prostho Museum Research Center
REFERENCE
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Research structure
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Determining the right dimentions
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Determining the right dimentions
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Handle the structure to realize the concept
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Handle the structure to realize the concept
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Handle the structure to realize the concept
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Handle the structure to realize the concept
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Handle the structure to realize the concept
PHASE 3: Make it tangible Handle the structure to realize the concept