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01-391
PROJECT FOR THE ARENBERG
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
CAMPUS OF THE KATHOLIEKE
UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN (KUL)
/ LEUVEN (FLEMISH BRABANT PROVINCE)
/ 1999–2000
This urban and multi-purpose project can be approached
from different angles: that of a university campus and
simple science park, an urban transition point between
two university hubs, or that of a master plan developed
around an interior axis, capable of expanding to suit
changing needs. The division of the programme into
separate but connectable units allows for great flex-
ibility. This flexibility can be seen in other projects, even
quite recent ones, such as the administration building
for the Rome city hall
(01-526)
, which is itself reminis-
cent of the Shell research centre in Louvain-la-Neuve
(01-160 and 01-418)
. The urban planning and landscap-
ing for this project allows for very different architectures
to take their place in a framework that is both flexible
and formal. The computer-generated images and cross-
sections of the project display an urbanity that can be
varied to a great extent, as is the case with the Berlin
campus proposed by the team of Candilis, Josic and
Woods. The fact that the units can be disassembled
within the framework guarantees the urban planning
‘superstructure’. The location of the complex was stud-
ied in order to reduce noise pollution from the access
road linking Leuven to the Liège-Brussels motorway
and to respect ecosystems. All of the components
weigh less than a tonne, resulting in a significant reduc-
tion in site installations. A kit-based design that extends
all the way to the foundation of helical steel piers offers
the possibility of completely dismantling them.