Bijloke
This project focused on three urgent needs: limiting overheating in the performers’ foyer, improving the wind and water tightness of the public entrance near the café, and enhancing the building’s overall accessibility. The interventions took place on the eastern side of the ‘De Bijloke Music Centre Gent’, a building with a strong historical identity that serves a public function in the city.
Our approach was to carry out these adjustments in a passive way, with minimal material waste and interventions, i.e. without excessive use of climate techniques. The focus was on preservation, reuse, and respect for the existing architecture so that the building could continue to function during the works.
For the artists’ foyer, we chose to build a new structure on top of the existing curtain wall instead of demolishing and rebuilding it completely. This approach limited the impact on usage and reduced waste and energy consumption. At the public entrance, we modified the curtain wall to improve comfort on entry, particularly with regard to shelter from wind and rain. Both exterior interventions were designed using a similar formal language, with the rhythm of the columns and the horizontal elements matching the scale and expression of the surrounding historic façades.
Instead of generic glass façades, greyed wood from sustainable forestry was chosen. This material enhances the tactile quality of the spaces, giving them a timeless character and making the transition from outside to inside more welcoming. The result is an enhanced visual quality, greater climate resilience and improved user comfort, all achieved through a sober, thoughtful and sustainable approach.
