644 – MATUVU SQUARE

• Town planning
• Architecture
• Interior architecture
• Landscaping
• Structural engineering
• MEP engineering
• Building physics and energy concepts
• Acoustics
• Signposting
• Accessibility
• Fire safety

Introduction

The sea evokes dreams. Adorned with the verses of Eluard, the Poet, the bronze sculpture by artist Ossip Zadkine, tells all of this on Albertplein, once the dynamic, beating heart of Knokke-Heist.

The goal of this project is to breathe new life into that heart, to invite people to look, to see, to dream their life under the sunlight and in front of the sea, of which Albertplein will become an extension.

The Albertplein bears the name of two of our former kings. It is located in Knokke-Heist, but it represents Belgium itself: a mix of people from Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia.

It is also a square where a certain idea of ​​harmonious ambiguity takes place, haute couture standing alongside coolers plainly and simply. It is called “Matuvu square” for a reason (litterally: “show-off square”). The project aims at highlighting the richness of this setting.

A glazed pavilion at the centre of a body of water

The central hemispherical pavilion is an ode to light. As music relates to silence, reflection relates to transparency, and shadow to light. Hence the dome’s pattern, consisting of two types of “super crystal clear” glass. One half of the triangles consists of regular clear reflective glass, whereas the other half consists of the same glass, treated with a very lightly tinted coating.

This effect of endlessness and freedom is strengthened by the reflecting pool around the pavilion, visually giving it the scope of a full sphere.

On weekdays, everyone – including wheelchair users – can hang out and enjoy themselves here. On the weekend, the square can be transformed into an space for exceptional events, from ceremonial to popular. By draining the fountain, for example, the square becomes a stage for arts of all kinds: dance, theatre, music, an imaginative car show, nay an ice skating rink in winter. The pavilion can also be completely emptied and used for various purposes. This diversity of people and activities adds colour to this deliberately colourless design.

In order to guarantee its versatility as well, the relationship with the underground level is kept as discreet as possible: a spiral staircase and platform lift.

The pavilion not only provides the intended ambiguity, an interplay between reflection and transparency, but also a high level of MATUVU: you see and are seen!

Even the two functional volumes play a part, as they are coated with clear glass. 

On the side of the Kustlaan, mobile stands can be placed.

Building the glazed pavilion

Unprecedented techniques are being used for the construction and its equipment.

The frame of the dome consists of an isonode structure, discovered by Philippe Samyn, which solves an almost impossible geometric problem: to make a dome with quasi-identical three-dimensional requirements (that is, they have only one degree of freedom). Thin polished stainless steel profiles outline the frame and border the triangular glazing, which also plays a role in the global stability by preventing lateral buckling of the tubular profiles profiles and damping the vibrations of the structure. This is done by the silicones joints that attach them to the structure.

This dome can be cleaned on both the inside and outside using a cherry picker.

The heating and ventilation strategy is similar to what Philippe Samyn and Partners used before in comparable structures (the building for the Walloon branch of reproduction forestry material in Marche-en-Famenne (01/279), the M&G Ricerche in Venafro, Italy (01/222), and the East Vesuvio railway station in Naples, Italy (01/552)). As a matter of fact, the temperature rises rapidly with height, but the thermal stratification remains stationary. Ventilation takes place by opening the doors on the four main axes. In addition, the air is also refreshed by the body of water around the dome. Heating during winter will be done through underfloor heating and infra-red heaters.

A fine net of LED lights will be attached to the very thin structure of the dome, as will be the case above the terraces furniture that provide structure to the external space.

Layout of the square

The square is covered with a large rectangular carpet of 67 m x 30 m in checkerboard of black and white slabs extended on all four sides by fringes also alternating black and white stripes. The slabs are made of cement-based concrete CEM-3C dotted with coins from all over the world, as an evocation of travels and a total antidote to the visual pollution of chewing gums! Besides the cosmopolitan touch, this addition will also have an artistic and sustainable value for the MATUVU square.

Finally, the road will be marked in a logical way. Enzo Mari, an Italian designer, designed concrete panettones, known as tognolinis, to prevent the biggest problem faced by these types of poles. These tognolinis have a cavity at the top in which a stick can be placed. This enables the pole to be easily returned to its original place after a collision, without any damage. A simple and sustainable solution that is strangely not yet in use in Belgian public spaces.

The square becomes an invitation to dreams and creativity. Therefore, it is important to remove the Poet from his unwieldy concrete pedestal and to place him in the water, as if floating above, or rising from the water.

The MATUVU square not only becomes again the place to be, but also the place to invent, to gather, to communicate, to dream, to… to be.

[1] See www.samynandpartners.com: Publication n° (1320): Philippe Samyn: “Revolutionary polyhedron in isonode triangles” (03/340; 2018-03-12). The variables take here the values n=60; α = 60°; and ɣ = 5°.

LOCATIon
Albertplein, 8300 Knokke-Heist, Belgium
51°21’17,32”N / 3°17’56,42”E

 

SURFACES
Redevelopment of the square: 2,254 m²; glazed pavilion: 170 m².

Infrastructure: 7,131 m² (169 parking spaces on 2 levels).

 

CLIENT
Municipality of Knokke-Heist

Sales file for the underground of the Albertplein organised by AGSO Knokke-Heist, ‘t Walletje 104 Bus 101 (Zone E), 8300 Knokke-Heist

Contact person : Rudi Neirynck, general manager

tel. : +32 (0)50 442 500; e-mail : Rudi.Neirynck@agsoknokke-heist.be

 

Design and Build in association with :

• PSR Brownfield Developers nv (Jan De Nul Group), Tragel 60, 9308 Hofstade-Aalst, Belgium

Contact person : Julie De Pauw, Tel.: +32 53 73 12 12, +32 470 18 42 36; e-mail : julie.depauw@psr.eu

• Luc Goethals Promotor nv., Nijverheidslaan 76, 9250 Waasmunster, Belgium

Contact person : Luc and Frederic Goethals, Tel.: +32 52 38 14 00; e-mail : luc@goethalspromotor.be

 

ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS srl, architects & engineers       

Steenweg op  Waterloo, 1537   B-1180 Brussels  

Philippe Samyn –  Exclusive owner of the copyrights

Tel. + 32 2 374  90 60       Fax + 32 2 374 75 50

E-mail: sai@samynandpartners.com

 

TEAM

Architecture and engineering          

Design partner : Dr Ir Philippe Samyn.

Administrative partner : Jacques CEYSSENS

Consultant partner : Åsa DECORTE

Collaborators : Karim AMMOR, Gabriel BALTARIU, Sam DE DOBBELEER, Guido BRUZZI, Antonella CARLUCCI, Kasimir DE VALK, Mirela GANCHEVA, Olivier GENNART, Ali LAGHRARI, Diane LEFEVRE, Valentin PASCU, Amélie PATERNOSTER, Daniel PEREZ JUSTEL, Vlad POPA, Fulvio SERPONE, Massoud SEYED AZIZOLAH TEHRANY, Radu SOMFELEAN, Juliette YARAMIS, Ibrahim YILMAZ.

Outside lightning :   

Magic Monkey bv, Marc Largent

Franz Merjaystraat, 179, B-1050 Brussels

Tel. : +32 2 344 84 84, Fax : +32 2 347 70 72

E-mail : marc.largent@ magicmonkey.net

Health and safety coordination :            

ADVICE FOR ALL bv, Ing. Olivier Lemoine

Komwest, 40F/201, 8000 Brugge

GSM. : +32 497 439 283

E-mail : olivier@adviceforall.be

 

DOCUMENTATION

Documentation management :       

Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS (André CHARON and Quentin OLBRECHTS)

Additional 3D renderings     :              

ASYMETRIE srl, Xavier Vanabelle, Michaël Barrin

Rue de Thirimont, 126, B-6511 Beaumont

Tel : +32 2 502 61 67, Fax : +32 71 32 43 00

E-mail : contact@asymetrie.be

 

3D model (3D printing)        :              

UNIC-3D srl, Nicolas Usuwiel

 Rue de Dublin, 27, B-1050 Brussels

Tel : +32 2 502 61 67;

E-mail : nicolas@unic-3d.com

 

Pictures of the 3D-model     :             

Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS (Karim Ammor)

 

PROTOTYPES

Ebema (tegel met munten) :              

Dijkstraat, 3, 3690 Zutendaal

Tel. + 32 89 61 00 11      

       

Metalwork BEMECO (structuur) :                                        

Evenbroekveld 36, 9420 Erpe-Mere

Tel. + 32-53-83 89 00     

       

Metalwork AMS nv (structuur) : 

Hoge Buizen 47, 1980 Eppegem (Zemst)

Tel. + 32-2-758 80 60   

         

Metalwork TAMCO (structuur) : 

F.A.M Gochetlaan, 16,   B-5060 Tamines

Tel. + 32 71-74 40 03

 

Glasswork BAEYENS Glass Inox : 

Chaussée d’Alsemberg, 147,   B-1420 Braine l’Alleud

Tel. + 32 2-384 12 47

 

Glasswork MIROX (AGC Processing Belgium) : 

Bergsesteenweg, 470,   B-1600 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

Tel. + 32 2-334 70 30

 

Glasswork De Grom : 

Industriezone Zuid III, Watermolenstraat 15, 9320 Erebodegem

Tel. + 32 53-64 79 79

 

AGC Glass Europe : 

Avenue Jean Monnet, 4,   B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve

Tel. + 32 2-409 30 00

 

DOW Chemical (DOW Silicones Belgium) : 

Rue Jules Bordet, Parc Industriel,   B-7180 Seneffe

Tel. + 32 64-88 80 00

 

EXECUTION

General contractor :                           

JAN DE NUL nv                                    

Tragel 60, 9308 Aalst-Hofstade.

+32 53-73 15 11

 

PROJECT CHRONOLOGY

Project started (competition/offer) : 2017-06-20.

Introduction of the offer : 2017-07-14.

Building permit obtained : 2020-04-07.

Construction works (sewage) : 2020-10-12.

Construction works (parking) : 2021-02-25.

Due for completion on : September 2022.

 

BUDGET

11.700.000 € (budget july 2017)