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Samyn describes his work as making “non-visible pylons to achieve a free span of 140 metres. cient natural lighting. This zone forms the back-
high-tech” 7. Technical knowledge is not brought However, the architects of the Provincial bone of the structure. Four shafts, spaced at 36 m,
into position in order to produce spectacular Government Building and Samyn himself came to holding the vertical circulation and the toilets,
images. The extensive mastery is deployed to the conclusion that the high pylons would be too break up the long indoor area of the building. For
achieve modesty, to bring forth architecture that close to that building. And there was another the Samyn team, a clear structure with maximum
wants to distance itself from the violence of form problem. The original location of the pedestrian functional flexibility is always the starting point.
and at the same time to integrate the building bridge was not practical on the Kessel-Lo side, as This is a modular system that can provide a
location with respect. His recent work is closer to the end point was behind the existing build area. number of solutions for offices. The basic module
the current Swiss architectural approach that In the end, it was decided to move the bridge in chosen is 1.80 m so that the standard office is 3.60
stresses the art of building, on creating architec- the direction of the station. To make the bridging or 5.40 m wide with a depth of 5.40 m.
ture with extreme precision. He deliberately wants as slender and elegant as possible, a horizontal
to distance himself from a rather Anglo-Saxon bridge component was chosen for a case structure The interior lobby, along the tracks retaining wall,
high-tech vision, where the expressiveness is composed of sections measuring 10 x 10 cm max- designed as a visitor service zone and a permanent
enhanced by making the construction more imum, already an exceptional technical feat in exhibit area and with a glazed roof, is accessible
explicit. This comes out in the brilliant fire station themselves. In mid 1999, the NMBS [Belgian Rail] from the station and from the main entry under the
in Houten (Utrecht, the Netherlands), where the launched a competition for a platform covering tower. All office areas have natural lighting and can
basic form is a parabolic cylinder. In fact, he combined with a pedestrian bridge between the be ventilated naturally. The offices are all equipped
makes a large, transparent roof, a current version station and Kessel-Lo. The jury chose the design of with French windows and balconies, giving the
of a shed 8. Samyn’s permanent strife for lightness Samyn & Partners10. Completion of the first phase façade composition a strict rhythm set by the ver-
and transparency has its roots in the drive for 2002/2003. tical openings. The balconies serve to regulate the
“ingenious constructions,” whereby a plethora of climate, protect from the sun and at the same time
factors come into play. Building is an activity Samyn & Partners took part in the competition for act as emergency exits in the fire safety scheme of
which requires a great deal of workmanship from a new Vlaams Administratief Centrum (VAC). Like in the building. The concept of the building takes
the designer, from concept to the careful working Hasselt, where the first VAC building was erected, account of climatic aspects to reduce to a min-
out of every component in detail. For Samyn a the Flemish Community chose a site near the sta- imum the high-energy consumption installations
detail is more than a technical occasion; the detail tion. The urban planning criteria for the project for managing the climate in the building.
must express the same spirit of clarity as the basic were described in the "BPA" (urban plan specific
premises of the design. Geert Bekaert typified to the site) developed by Professor Marcel Smets. Natural lighting and ventilation are used to the
Philippe Samyn as follows: “As a born engineer, All architects had to propose a building on a long utmost both under ground and above ground. The
he continues to believe in the type of universal base ending in a tower; the BPA did not leave a garage levels are connected by empty spaces to
builder, of which all architects dream in secret, great deal of leeway. provide natural cross-ventilation of the parking
that allows form to emerge from the inventiveness Given the strict requirements for the project, areas. The tower has an elegant shape for being
of the construction and discovers beauty in the Samyn chose a curved shape for the long and narrower at the base and due to the spacing of the
order of the number” 9 lower building, swinging out from the railway vertical circulation shafts on the elevation of the
retaining wall, in response to the basic shape of the facade.
__ SAMYN AND LEUVEN construction site. Like in the retained solution by
Gigantes & Zanghelis, one part is cut away to pro- __ BETWEEN THE PROVINCIAL
The broad railway bedding is a hard fracture diffi- vide landscaped grounds, leaving an area open to GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND THE STATION
cult to bridge in the urban fabric. A new pedestrian the public on both long sides of the building.
connection between Kessel-Lo and Leuven had The decision the client to relocate their office in
already been discussed when developing the plans As always, Samyn chose a structurally transparent the vicinity of the station fit in with the strategy
for the Provincial Government Building. Originally, composition for the building. The base is divided stimulated by the authorities. The stated policy of
the pedestrian bridge, a design by Samyn and into two zones with an open space in the middle this company is to group its activities near the sta-
Partners, would lead to the square in front of the and a glass strip running the entire length of the tion so as to attain optimal company organisation
Provincial Government Building. The concept building at the top, including the part under the and improve the mobility comfort of its 1500
chosen by Samyn was a guyed bridge with high tower. The reception volume thus receives suffi- employees.
