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it is unnecessary here to remind the reader of its great
stability. Several famous examples of this shape’s use
can be found in the ‘heroic’ architecture and engineer-
ing of the modernist movement, such as the hangars
at Orly airport, built in 1923 by the engineer Eugene
Freyssinet (unfortunately destroyed), the five-point,
concrete-encased arches in the church of St John the
Baptist in Molenbeek (architect Joseph Diongre, 1931)
and the grand three-point arches of the central palace
of the 1935 World’s Fair in Brussels (architect Joseph
Van Neck, engineer Louis Baes). Philippe Samyn re-
deployed this shape in the fire station at Houten in the
Netherlands
(01-373)
, in the small military storehouse in
Florennes
(01-264)
and in the project for a
pvc
factory
at Nizhni Novgorod in Russia
(
in progress;
01-517)
.
The creation of an exterior space that is appropriate
to the architecture is one of the essential themes of
Philippe Samyn’s creative method, and one he has
always attempted to adapt to existing sites. Later we
will see how this concern played out in several cases
of adaptation to historical architectural heritage, as in
the restoration of the Brugmann Hospital in Brussels
(
designed in 1994 following an invitation-only competi-
tion and currently under construction;
01-312)
, in the
design of the European Union headquarters in Brussels
(
also under construction;
01-494)
and in the project
for the parliament building in Tirana, Albania
(01-522)
.
In other cases, buildings designed by Philippe Samyn
act as hinges or linking elements; for example, with
the cylindrical social services office over a crèche,
built in the working-class neighbourhood of Marolles
in Brussels
(01-413)
, within a completely dilapidated
architectural context. The cylindrical shape, used as a
neutral connecting element, also appears in the Eversite
office building in Evere
(01-368)
, at the corner of two
busy thoroughfares in a very complex environment,
both architecturally and in terms of the urban planning.
It was also partially employed in the Immomills building
in Brussels
(01-232)
. The cylindrical shape appears
once more in the medical students’ auditorium at the
Université Libre de Bruxelles, in a difficult urban context
where simple forms such as the cylinder (selected by
Philippe Samyn) or the square (Jacques Wybauw’s
choice for the School of Public Health) represent the
best solutions. The restructuring of the public space
was very localised, being limited to the installation of
a small square that created one of the few zones of
peace, quiet and mediation on the campus. The exterior
shape is reminiscent, perhaps inadvertently, of Erik
Gunnar Asplund’s library at Stockholm, which was itself
inspired by Claude Nicolas Ledoux’s drawings of the
ideal city at Arc-et-Senans.
A similar concern with reciprocal structuring of interior
and exterior spaces can be seen in the large auditorium
at the Aula Magna in Louvain-la-Neuve
(01-268 and
01-291)
, for which Philippe Samyn convinced the
administrative and academic authorities to break with
the picturesque nature of the university campus, which
was built starting in 1967, roughly based on the new
towns of post-war Britain. The perfect rectangle of the
large, multi-purpose auditorium at the Aula Magna, just
steps away from the heart of the town, is authoritatively
situated in the contour of the valley, independent of the
general framework of the town centre. Its placement
is almost classical: the Aula Magna is fronted by an
open space that initiates the development of the inte-
rior spaces, which were designed as a covered urban
square. This structural design would reappear a few
years later in the project for the parliament building in
Tirana
(01-522)
.
Changes in urban life can result, at varying rates of
speed, in building obsolescence. In Brussels, the
destruction of the Tour Martini (built by Jacques
Cuisinier and Serge Lebrun from 1957 to 1962) brought
with it a storm of protest. Located on the place Rogier
and surrounded by hotels, it blocked the view of the
boulevard Adolphe Max and was flanked to the west
by establishments connected with the sex trade. It was
a mixed-use building, combining businesses, housing
and a theatre. The tower came before the exhibition and
conference rooms, which were gradually eliminated;
01-421
Foyer Bruxellois,
Brussels, 2001–2007
01-291
Aula Magna, Louvain-la-Neuve,
1996–1999