Here's a belgian architect, again.
Check more here (http://www.belgium-architects.com/content/profiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile&architect=2845&lang=e&locale=e)

All photos by Alain Janssens

Social housing in Shaerbeek, Bruxelles.
I still wonder how he made to get authorizations to build this, but it's the kind we would like to see more and more in Belgium.


Brussels has had a reticent attitude toward contemporary architecture, considering the ravages incurred throughout the Reconstruction years. However, the authorities had the bright idea to provide their assistance in the achievement of a project devoid of pastiche or "facadisme" in sharp contrast with the surrounding pseudo-historical architecture. Under the impetus of the local town planners, among them Mr. Clerfayt, currently burgomaster of Schaerbeek, Mario Garzaniti, an architect from Liege, managed, after some difficulties, to use new materials at the corner of Anvenue de la Reine and place Liedts, a public space where cars and trams create uninterrupted traffic.

Located in an corner block, the building lends the site a sense of balance. Its volume is simple, smooth, covered with a single material: stabilized rusted steel....

Another

Closer

Another one

Détail

Interior

A friend of mine living in a house next to him told me that he stopped architecture and turned into musical instrument design... (he's a trumpetist)... :wondering

I like most of his work, but I don't think this one to be really a good response to the neighbourhood's social aspect and its environment... I lived near it during its construction and neighbours considered it like a UFO-meets-bunker building. Not to mention it was unoccupied during 2 years after its completion... :cool:

It's not art the neighbours wanted, just a living place... :D

But... I LOOOVE Corten steel :rock on:

Sure people are talking about. Art is made for, no ?
There are migrants from dozens of countries in this little Schaerbeek : so much cultural background seems to me a good field for such a strong architecture.

Remember Paris : Eiffel tower, centre Pompidou, .... and Pei's wonder were highly criticised.

Just my opinion.

I love the way the building looks, but I think it's a very snobish way to use corten steel for a social housing.
Probably people of lower incomes associate rust with leaking roofs and deteriorated dwellings whereas people with more education in the field have probably seen a wider usage of this kind of treatment.
I'm not saying it's a bad building, but I think it's not fully considering the users it has

I love the way the building looks, but I think it's a very snobish way to use corten steel for a social housing.
Probably people of lower incomes associate rust with leaking roofs and deteriorated dwellings whereas people with more education in the field have probably seen a wider usage of this kind of treatment.
I'm not saying it's a bad building, but I think it's not fully considering the users it has

You're maybe right.
However, it seems to me dangerous to make the difference between an art or architecture or anything else made for the poor people and another one for the rich ones. Poor people are not necessary stupid people.
And, you know, this municipality is not a ghetto.

I think in this case art is a different from architecture being that it doesn't target to a specific demographic group. Architecture on the other hand needs to have a sensitivity towards it's client. I'm not saying that all the poor people are less cultured, but you can't ignore the general fact. In this context I consider that the less cultured poor guy wouldn't like this building because of the reason I alredy mentioned and the cultured poor guy might not like it either because he could consider that it's not the optimal usage of economic resources for the building.
I hope I didn't offend you with what I said. I'm giving an oppinion from a latin american point of view. Poor people in belgium are definitely not as poor as here and probably none of them lives in a rusty steel shack.

Yes caca, unfortunantely many people here live in rusty shacks, so making social housing like this would definitely raise strong oposition...

Yes caca, unfortunantely many people here live in rusty shacks, so making social housing like this would definitely raise strong oposition...
Here too... :D
Only the architect gained reknown for this (steel award, exhibition at Venice Biennale, etc.)... :wondering

ryo

But... I LOOOVE Corten steel :rock on:

Me too :D I'm planing a floor - corten metallica by Tau.
I can see corten steel on the big surface - thanks Francesco :)

Mario Garzaniti, Housing pdf (http://www.arplus.com/broch/articles/aroct05/AR_oct_garzaniti.pdf)

Hello.

No offense at all, cacapis. I just like this building and its integration very much.
I was in BXL today and had the opportunity to talk about this social house with our colleague living in Schaerbeek.

He's a fan too and here are some news about the relationship between people and it. First, most of them don't care at all.
The main reason why it was unoccupied is that spaces are very small and difficult to fit with conventional furniture. Mimi attached a pdf with more info (Thanks).

What now ? Tourists (manly architects and students) come from whole Europe to visit the site... local people begin to think about the building in another way. This is the most important : the beginning of a dialog on why, what and else.

Well. But I certainly don't want to cause a quarel