Composing the Ensemble: VAi archive at deSingel
Making an architectural archive extension to a modernist cultural complex
J. Fang (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
S. De Vocht – Mentor (TU Delft - Situated Architecture)
M.W. Klooster – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / A)
A.R. Thomas – Mentor (TU Delft - Situated Architecture)
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Abstract
The Flanders Institute of Architects (VAi) collection in Antwerp has outgrown its current building in the city’s historical center, which no longer meets the needs of the collection, staff, or public visibility. VAi is exploring the possibility of relocating and uniting with its counterpart, the VAi office, at deSingel—a modernist cultural campus designed by Leon Stynen and expanded by Stephan Beel. Currently home to multiple institutions, including the Royal Conservatorium and deSingel Art Campus, this fragmented site on the city’s outskirts offers an opportunity to reimagine its state.
The design proposal aims to reorganize, adapt, and extend deSingel, enhancing the performance of this cultural campus, respecting its architectural qualities, and integrating a 4,000m² architectural archive with its affiliated programs.
The project juxtaposes the site's conditions with the vision for a contemporary archive. It was about finding alignment between the two and balancing the necessary compromises. The design borrows features from the existing building while also giving qualities back. It is about asserting a clear identity for the VAi and fostering integration within deSingel’s existing ensemble.