(11-08-2014) PROJECT UPDATE - De Gheelodroom, Geel (B)
One Building To Go.
The front and aisle buildings of this residential development in the center of Geel (B) have been delivered, as well as the centrally positioned courthouse building. The buildings, which are an ensemble of juxtaposing volumes on top of a shared and robust plinth, each react to the scale of the adjacent built/unbuilt space. Together, they are three quarters of a hybrid building block that consists of retail and office space, a mix of housing typologies, a courthouse and public parking infrastructure. The project is the result of a co-design with Archiles Architecture.
In reference to the large city blocks of the past, the exterior of the block is constructed with uniform materials and detailing. The brick and deep texture contribute to its formal and robust character. On the side of the public garden, the façades are materialised as a light and smooth interior, in stark contrast to the bucolic nature of the garden and the public aspect of the court building. In the same way in which the volumetrics play on the boundaries between public and private, the materials toy with the transition between inside and out.
The realization of the last building – 24 serviced flats and a small communal center – will commence in October this year.