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1
Studies of fractals would only come later in the architect’s work.
2
According to Philippe Samyn, architectural archetypes concern,
for example, small detached houses in the suburbs and semi-detached
homes. Clearly, this does not preclude variations on a theme.
3
See Werner Szambien, J.N.L. Durand, Paris, Picard, 1984. Kahnian
influence is not very strong in Belgium, except among architects who are
themselves searching for a kind of timelessness, as is the case with Willy
Serneels. As for Dom Hans van der Laan, Philippe Samyn has clearly iden-
tified him as a source of inspiration. But we should not forget the decisive
influence of engineers like André Paduart at the
ulb
, José M. Roesset at
mit
and, later, the work and philosophies of Pier Luigi Nervi and especially
Eduardo Torroja.
4
In 1954, Willy van der Meeren and Léon Palm remarked that, in tradi-
tional construction, nearly ten per cent of the materials arrived new at the
site and left it as rubble. But the general structure of the building business
was such that Van der Meeren and Palm were preaching in the wilder-
ness. Let us agree on what we call traditional architecture or construction,
and simply note that, in this context, only habit and thoughtlessness in
the design and implementation are to blame for this absurd situation.
Palm and Van der Meeren ended up designing a house ‘without waste'
but whose degree of industrialisation was low enough that the builders
did not have to resort to mass production. After its presentation at Liège
trade fair, their remarkable prototype was turned down almost every-
where by local authorities. A few examples were finally built in Tervuren,
in the suburbs of Brussels.
5
Lucien Kroll, Composants. Faut-il industrialiser l’architecture?,
Brussels, Socorema, 1984.
6
The term ‘inexpressible space’ was coined by Le Corbusier in a special
‘Art’ issue of the French journal Architecture d’Aujourd’hui in 1946. This
expression was frequently used by Le Corbusier himself as well as by sev-
eral commentators. It was an attempt to theorise his aesthetic approach to
architecture.
7
Hilde Heynen, Architecture and Modernity, Cambridge,
ma
,
The
mit
Press, 1999.
8
Hilde Heynen, op. cit., provides an in-depth commentary on the
experience and work of Ernst May in the 1920s in the framework of Neue
Frankfurt. For the work of Louis Herman De Koninck, refer to the special
issue that was devoted to him in 1964 by the Belgian journal Architecture.
9
Pierre Puttemans and Lucien Hervé, Modern Architecture in Belgium,
Brussels, Vokaer, 1975.
01-225
Brussimmo office building,
Brussels, 1989–1991
01-225
Brussimmo office building,
Brussels, 1989–1991
01-160
Rear view, looking towards
the technical buildings,
Shell chemical research centre,
Louvain-la-Neuve, 1986