Page 80 - THE FIRE STATION
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“The firefighting fraternity: today’s chevaliers, warriors and heroes!”  Call-outs can occur at any time. Next to the two staircases serving
Philippe Samyn                                                           the firemen’s living quarters, there are two poles taking firemen
	                                                                        straight down to their initial response vehicles (fire engines or
Remembering his nights spent in the fire station in Enschede,            ambulances).
Philippe Samyn felt the wish to pay tribute to the firemen, even
though this was not part of the specifications.                          The location of the staff, visitors’ and delivery entrance to the
                                                                         building, the basement (Level 0) is half underground.The visitors’
As a result, the response vehicle entrances and exits open up            car-park and the unloading bay are both inside the building, ar-
onto the “Heroes’ Square“ dedicated to those no longer with us           ranged around the main north-south pedestrian aisle.
or welcoming firemen coming back from a firefighting mission.
                                                                         LPG-fuelled vehicles and buses park in reserved spaces in front
“The large wall is intended for an epic fresco!”                         of the tunnel.
Philippe Samyn
                                                                         Driving up from the Sentier desTerrils and the car-park access
The north-south aisle governs pedestrian flows within the building,      road, vehicles enter the building through a tunnel underneath the
both horizontally and vertically (four staircases, one lift and one      emergency vehicle “ring road” on Level 1, thereby completely
goods lift).                                                             separating emergency from non-emergency traffic.

It also points straight to the 25-metre high training tower to           Alongside the fire station’s staff, visitors to the building include
the north of the building.                                               firemen undergoing training and people submitting building emer-
                                                                         gency plans to the officers responsible for checking their compli-
Moreover, a vertical shaft going through all 4 floors is used            ance with legal fire safety regulations.
for drying fire-hoses.

Extract from the competition brochure. (2012_08_22)
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