A walled garden in Brussels: Ambiguity as the foundation for coexistence in the European quarter in Brussels

"Brussels was never destroyed by the wars, but rather by its own people" these words of Victor Bourgouis show the destructive vision of social and cultural spaces in Brussels. The city's vision of urban development is based on top-down politics, fed by the desire to be modern. This affection leads to the non-identification and displacement of...

Reinterpreting the National Bank of Belgium

With the pressing issues that arise from a society driven and measured by flow of capital and wealth, the future of the National Bank of Belgium and its role to society is questioned as most of its functions are becoming digital or being relocated. A monumental building, representing an institution in an extremely relevant capital, presents...

Architecture of care: Creating the fair bank of Belgium

The Graduation Studio of Interiors Buildings Cities (2021-2022) investigates the possible future of the National Bank of Belgium, located in the city of Brussels. The bank as a collective system has been recently scrutinized due to persistent climate change. As Brussels is working towards a Doughnut Economy Model, the National Bank of Belgium...

Architectural Transformation of Luxembourg City during the 1960s: Politico-economic influence on the architectural and urban development of Luxembourg and its representation as a European city

During the 1950s and 1960s, Luxembourg underwent a major economic-political transformation that allowed the country to position itself as an internationally recognised financial hub and centre for European affairs. The degree of influence that this economic- political evolution of Luxembourg had on the architectural and urban development of...

Le Berlay-quoi?: Examining the architectural iconography of the Berlaymont in the context of the European identity-making process

Since its creation in the 1950s, one of the European Union’s greatest aspiration has been the search for a common European identity as its slogan “United in diversity” euphemistically conveys. Officially adopted in May 2000, after it had been chosen by a media jury from more than 2000 proposals, the motto is one of many European symbols...

Re-tracing the Senne: Making the invisible river in Brussels visible

Research about the covered river Senne in Brussels. This former river seems to be invisible, but this research shows that this former industrial river still lives in the city (within the architecture and the urban structure). What can a revitalization of this covered river mean? And how does architecture relate to this revitalized space?

Building Craft Centre: Revitalizing Neighborhood by Appropriating the Existing Structure of Former Leonidas Factory

The street is a complex socio-physical network that reveals various layers of life in a city: its historical setting, planning, political and economic situation, and cultural mentality. Studying such complexities of social life is important in order to understand the constantly changing identity of space. In the face of globalization, cities are...

'European Debate' - A high rise proposal for the European Commission

The question of dealing with public & private zoning, and especially that area where the two meet, is one of the fundamental questions in architecture. In this project, this area has an important role, both functional and metaphorical. The European Union knows a big gap between the people and the political power. The EU is democratic in theory,...