Europan10: Villa de Ville Gembloux

AD012 Villa de Ville Gembloux

8. events

7. zdoorsnede met zichtlijnen (beoogd)

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1. parking entrace visitors

2. parking entrance personel

3. stairs to park

clear boundary

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park area

parking

park

event square

city balcony

belfroi

1. skyline

2. ligging en routing binnen locatie

3. doorsnede met zichtlijnen (bestaand)

4. boundaries

X. infrastructure

5. zoning + boundaries

eglise decanalechateau bailli

sightlines towards the old city’s highlights

roof plazaparties & festivalsmarketsoccervolleyballmusic

parkgreenartbenches

city balconymarriagesofficial ceremonies

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3. stairs to park

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park area

parking

park

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belfroi

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parkgreenartbenches


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3. stairs to park

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park area

parking

park

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belfroi

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4. boundaries

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parkgreenartbenches


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3. stairs to park

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event square

city balcony

belfroi

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parkgreenartbenches


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3. stairs to park

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park area

parking

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belfroi

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parkgreenartbenches


Gembloux The city of Gembloux is characterized by its historic centre and a number of remarkable buildings. These buildings such as the Château du Bailli, the UNESCO Beffroi, l’église décanale and the Faculté d’Agronomie give the city the potential to exceed its regional significance. This hierarchy, together with the natural relief of the landscape, determines the structure of the city. They provide orientation and a clear organization to both the medieval urban tissue and the surrounding, more recent, quarters.

Ambitions The new town hall should reinforce the communal meaning of the site within the heart of the town. Also the connections with, and the views towards the other emblematic buildings should be preserved. At the same time the stature of the site should not only be visible at the urban horizon, but as well at street level. This means the new building should improve the spatial quality of, and connection between, the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and the Parc d’Epinal. The town hall should meet modern standards concerning sustainability, representation

and office layout. While the newly added volume easily exceeds the existing, it has to respect the historic chateau and enhance the Parc d’Epinal.

Site The Europan site is one of the strategic points in the above mentioned structure. With the Château du Bailli, the site contains one of the icons of public realm. Where the other landmarks symbolize the religious (deanery), defence (belfry) and educational (faculty) powers, the chateau represents civic authority. The communal significance of the location is naturally underlined by the presence of the Château du Bailli, its public function and the lifted position above the historic housing. Nevertheless the site cannot substantiate its representative role due to the explicitly present parking areas and the closed character of the chateau and administrative building. Moreover the limited accessibility and visibility of these buildings degrade the representative task and charisma of their public function. The position of the administrative building frustrates the surrounding urban park, while the chateau is too distant from the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

situation 1:500

view towards the chateau from Place de l’Hôtel de Ville

current situationsights are blocked on the site itself and towards landmarks such as the belfry.

explicitly present parking areas cut up the site in several undefined spaces.

by carefully positioning the program in the natural slopes, an abundance of new sights is unvealed. existing sights towards monuments and the city are improved. furthermore, enhancement of the visibility of the city hall serves as a central orientation point for the city and its visitors.

new situationseveral zones with each its individual character are established.

typical activities can be deployed in the park and on the plaza and city balcony.


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3. stairs to park

clear boundary

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park area

parking

park

event square

city balcony

belfroi

1. skyline



4. boundaries

X. infrastructure





parkgreenartbenches


6. stappenplan

monumental staircase public

non-non public

PROGRAMMA ZONING ROUTING

coucil chamber

flexible office garden:non confidential offices

non public entrance and reception

‘dark’ program: archive, toilets, repro

public foyer with reception, cockpits, and public offices

old chateau .....representa-tive program

offices, mayor, and meeting room


non-non public


coucil chamber








non-non public


coucil chamber







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3. stairs to park

clear boundary

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park area

parking

park

event square

city balcony

belfroi

1. skyline



4. boundaries

X. infrastructure





parkgreenartbenches


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23



3. stairs to park

clear boundary

undefined boundary

park area

parking

park

event square

city balcony

belfroi

1. skyline



4. boundaries

X. infrastructure





parkgreenartbenches


8. events


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23



3. stairs to park

clear boundary

undefined boundary

park area

parking

park

event square

city balcony

belfroi

1. skyline



4. boundaries

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parkgreenartbenches


main access stairs

non-confidential

public

confidential/ highly confidential

public foyer

council chamber

flexibel office space

employee entrance

archive and repro area

highly confidential offices

existing chateau

Concept 1. Building Embedded in the difference in height of

the site, the new town hall creates a large open space for the park. By doing so, the building forms a supplementary, connecting layer between the Parc d’Epinal and the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

2. Connection The pedestrian route between the square and the park is combined with the public entrance of the town hall. Together with the new supermarket in the existing building at the foot of the mound, the new entrance will intensify the public realm of the square. The prominent stairs and cantilevered building in front of the Chateau enhance the social visibility and accessibility, displaying and retrieving its importance within the communal structure of Gembloux and its neighbouring villages.

3. Park The roof of the new town hall forms a pedestal for the chateau and can be used as an extension of the park. It forms a public balcony that has beautiful views on the surroundings. It’s surface is ideal for a meeting place with terraces, but also for all different kinds of events. This leaves the area near the ramparts available as a high-quality green zone. The quiet part of the park, with its archaeological heritage and remarkable trees, is

city councilmayor office and meeting room under pitched roof.

spatial concept

confidential office spacesthe main part of the confidential program is located in a seperate volume. this volume defines an edge of the park, and restores the street-profile.

diamond shaped roofsignifing the position of the council chamber from outside, and creating a spacious interior.

patio’sletting in natural light into the office spaces where needed.

monumental staircaseconnecting Parc d’Epinal, public entrance and Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

parking entranceconnected to rue de 8 mai.

public parking garage accessconnections to Parc d’Epinal, city hall and Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

nonconfidential office spacesflexible office space.

council chambrebeating hart of the municipality.

dark zoneprogram without the need for natural light are positioned in the back of the main volume.

public entrance & foyerreception, info desks and consulting rooms.

parking garageaccess to offices.

landscapeparking garage and part of the main volume are sunk into the hillside

complementary to the event square and completes the site as a public space with different atmospheres.

Effects By placing the new building horizontally in the landscape and interweaving it with a public route, it becomes an open, democratic structure. It respects the symbol of the historic chateau, while the new town hall itself is easy-accessible and transparent. The horizontal layout also generates a compact floorplan with short links between the public foyer and council meeting room and between the different office departments.

Sustainable This scheme is not only sustainable because of its respect to the surroundings and its open organization to both employees and visitors, but also by the dense built-up volume. The partly underground building has an efficient façade surface, with a strategic arrangement of functions. Patio’s provide natural daylight for the adjacent offices and the collection of rain water is used for facility functions within the building. The usage of high performance materials ensures a long lasting building. Natural ventilation in the parking garage and building will benefit the overall energy consumption. Furthermore, the earth functions as a natural buffer, giving an efficient climate control system and reducing the energy consumption of the overall building..

programarrangement of public functions, offices and entrances

zoningclear organisation of public, confidential and highly confidential program

circulationclear distinction between public circulation and employee routing

new city hall volume

adapting volume to existing chateau outline

implementing programmatic demands/relocating program

pedestrian connection between square - city hall - park

adding patio’s and skylights

city hall combined with an optimized park

public

non-public


Design The design manifests itself on three scale levels. On an urban scale the volume outline responds to the public structure of the inner city, the routings and the adjacent buildings on Rue du Huit Mai and Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. Secondly there are the defining spatial elements in the building such as the pedestrian route, the public foyer and the council meeting room. On the third and finer scale are the interior layouts of the building

Public Although it should not be considered as fixed in this stage of the project, there is a precise arrangement of public functions, offices and accesses. The main entrance is positioned where the open-air staircase, together with an elevator, connects the park with the square. Placed on either side of this are the public foyer with reception and the council meeting room. They may be used independently but are also linked indoors by two connections. One for the public (a transparent bridge above the staircase) and one for employees (a corridor under the stairs). In this way the public part of the building has a short link to the non confidential departments, but is also easily controlled.

Workspace The implementation of patio’s gives spatial freedom for the arrangement of open office spaces and generates an open, light and green atmosphere for the employees and visitors. A separate entrance on Rue du Huit Mai ensures a private way in for personnel and their

view from the south towards old city, overlooking the park and roof plaza

ground floor 1:300

longitudinal section 1:300

basement with parking 1:500

visitors. Positioned directly above this entrance are three levels of offices with the highest level of confidentiality, such as the rooms for the mayor, councillors and the officials. This erected part of the building fits in the existing urban fabric and creates a new street façade based on the scale of the surrounding. At the top of this volume, under the roof, is the municipal council meeting room. While at the base, directly at the level of the event square and the park, is the communal space or social quarter for employees. This may even be combined with a public bar or lunchroom.

Parking The entrance of the parking garage is also positioned on Rue du Huit Mai. It serves a simple rectangular parking in the structure of the town hall above. The personnel have direct access to the offices, while the public may exit on the level of either the park, the town hall or the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

Representation As a diamond heart of the building, the city council room, opens up towards the public staircase that connects park, square and town hall. At the base of the chateau are the public counters and reception. Here are consulting-rooms and information desks both overlooking the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. By revealing the base of the chateau behind the public counters, the historic symbol of Gembloux’s civil authority is unveiled within the interior of the new public foyer.

1st floor 1:300 2nd & 3rd floor 1:300 4th floor 1:300

cross section 1:300