Felix student housing Wilrijk (B).
Brutalist monument becomes home for students again.
This project is located on the site of the Theological and Pastoral Center in Wilrijk, owned by the Diocese of Antwerp and partly leased to our client.
The original buildings on the site were designed by architect Paul Felix and are protected as a textbook example of brutalist architecture. The landscape design was designed along with the master plan and buildings by landscape architect Paul Deroose, but has never been completed in its entirety in the past.
Four pavilion-like buildings were already designed as student accommodation at the time. These are being restored, are undergoing an energy renovation and are partly being converted into contemporary student rooms that fully comply with applicable regulations. This was only possible by drawing up a highly substantiated management plan and regular consultations with the Heritage Administration.
The original landscape design — in collaboration with landscape architect Paul Deroose and his son Antoine — is now finally being realized after so many years. We are very pleased about this.
Two new buildings for student accommodation are also being designed and built on the site. This was a delicate exercise as the entire site is protected as a monument. The position of these new buildings was inspired by intermediate phases in architect Paul Felix's original design process. The spatial ambitions and expression of his design were clear and allowed us to make substantiated choices for the master plan.
These new buildings include more spacious rooms than those in the restored pavilions and thus diversify the range of typologies. The housing in the low-rise building consists of three student rooms attached to a shared living room. The housing in the higher building — which is built cantilevered over an existing aboveground garage — concerns more spacious (duplex) studios.
The architecture of the new buildings is inspired by the brutalism of architect Paul Felix, without being a copy. It is a concrete structure with prefabricated wooden facades. Modulation, articulation, structure and the material palette are indebted to brutalism and blend into the overall identity of the site.
Wouter De Ceuster
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Four pavilion-like buildings were already designed as student accommodation at the time. These are being restored and are undergoing a complete energy renovation.
In addition, two new buildings for student accommodation are also being designed and built on the site, inspired by Paul Felix's brutalism, without being a copy.
The architecture of the new buildings is inspired by the brutalism of architect Paul Felix, without being a copy.
Modulation, articulation, structure and the material palette are indebted to brutalism and blend into the overall identity of the site.
The original landscape design is now finally being realized after so many years, in collaboration with landscape architect Paul Deroose and his son Antoine.
