Page 44 - Between light and shade

between light and shade, TRANSPARENCy and reflection

floor, as the wind blows, and then, by means of a
round pane of laminated glass in the centre of its
table, towards the entrance hall [01/200, Fig. 16,
17 and 18].

Mirrors reflecting natural light
I have been fascinated by mirrors for a long time.
I use them specifically to reflect natural light,
as in the deep reveals of the narrow windows of
the Ferme de Stassart in Uccle, which I began
restoring in 1991 to house my team of architects
and engineers [01/265, Fig. 19]. It not only enables
the amount of natural light to be increased but
also provides a very pleasant sideways view of
the outside world.

Since then, I have used this arrangement
frequently when restoring or renovating old
buildings, as in the window reveals in “Block A”
of the Résidence Palace incorporated into the
Europa building [Fig. 20].

I subsequently decided to examine the use of
reflective surfaces or mirrors placed “as a visor”
between the viewing section and the glazed upper
panel of a window, with the aim of illuminating
the ceiling and, at the same time, providing shade
(what are commonly known as “light shelves”).
This is the reason why, in 1992, when developing
an office building, standing at the junction of

44