Molenbeek - Klimpaal

BULK Architects, Belgium 2025.

Sheltered courtyard.

In the outskirts of Brussels lies the vibrant quarter of Molenbeek. Due to its proximity to the canal, it houses an industrial past. This working class district is characterised by a folksy, but honourable urban structure. A patchwork of typologies hosts a variety of inhabitants and functions for the city.

A dated elementary school stands in the midst of it all. The amorphous building blocks of the surroundings have prompted ad hoc interventions and notable infractions to the urban grid.

At a junction of two streets, a wedge gives space to a small triangular square. This marks the entrance to a horseshoe patio where the school grants a central courtyard, flanked by existing wings and new additions by Bulk Architects. A new entrance canopy gives space to a lifted playground. Two remarkable trees have miraculously survived this years-long struggle of restoration and embrace the safe feeling of this domestic playground. A home for the children of Molenbeek!

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Machelen - Village Interventions

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