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character of this design element is not available to light up the stage – and our minds (Figure 8).Twelve years later, the example of the AGC Glass Building makes this seem even more a crying shame.
LIGHt CONDuCtORS
What a contrast to the Polar Foundation building inToronto (2004, Figure 9 [01/477]). here, the project owner, well aware of the impor- tance of such issues, had no problem with my proposal to ‘inner- vate’ the wooden columns, using optical bres to distribute natural light harvested by parabolic collectors on the roof.
aNIDOLIC ReFLeCtORS
This quest for natural light quite naturally led me to propose the
use of light shelves. For the rst time in 1997, anidolic re ectors (developed by Raphaël Compagnon at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) were dogmatically included in the refurbish- ment plans for the of ces of the Caisse des Congés du Bâtiment on Boulevard Poincarélaan in Brussels.This feature also enabled us to model the facade in harmony with its existing neighbours (Figure 10 [01/351]). Unfortunately, despite the incredible performance of the system, as demonstrated by Peter Wouters and his team at the BBRI, this way of using natural light did not convince the project owner.
LIGHt SHeLVeS
In 1998, my second attempt in this eld, involving the of ce build- ing at the intersection of Avenue de Cortenbergh/Kortenberglaan and Avenue Michel-Ange/Michel Angelolaan and using simple walkways (Figure 11 [01/260]), was so successful that Jan-Piet and Dirk De Nul, visiting the building in 2001, immediately understood its importance and installed it in their new De Tragel of ces in Aalst (2002 – 2005, Figure 12 [01/401]).
mIRROReD emBRaSuReS
Light shelves are to be found in the bay windows of the refurbished section of Block C of the Residence Palace (Council of the European Union 2005-2015, Figure 13 [01/494])10. I here installed light shelves tted with mirrors above the openings, as well as vertical mirrors
in the window embrasures.
OtHeR exteRNaL LOuVReS
The use of external louvres has taken on different forms, and two projects in particular inspired their use in the AGC Glass Building. Our proposal, accepted though not yet implemented, for refur- bishing the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI) headquarters in EUR, Rome (1998, Figure 14 [01/375]) provides for very large mobile pan- els (3.6 m high and 7.2 m wide) made of clear glass with alternating screen-printed white stripes on the east and west facades.These panels would act both as sunscreens and light shelves.
Then came the refurbishment of a small of ce building at the intersection of Avenue Marnixlaan and Rue duTrône/Troonstraat in Brussels (2004-2009, Figure 15 [01/489], for which I developed a system of xed clear-glass louvres to protect the wooden cladding of the refurbished facades.
Fig. 9 | 01-477 | Fondation Polaire | toronto (Canada) | 2004
Fig. 11 | 01-260 | Of ce and apartment building | Brussels | 1991-1998
Fig. 12 | 01-401 | Headquarters of Jan De Nul Group | aalst | 2002-2005
Fig. 10 | 01-351 | Caisse des Congés du Bâtiment | Brussels | 1997