Located on a balcony overlooking the railway line connecting Brussels-North to Brussels-Schuman, the house enjoys a final view of the towers of central Brussels before the topography descends into the Maelbeek valley. Built in 1914 on the corner of two streets, this unique location is reflected in the fold of the façade and, through a sense of closeness, creates a double row of rooms in the house's architecture, mirroring the typology of Brussels houses. The renovated apartment is a duplex on the top floors of the house.
The four rooms on the third floor allow for a fluid layout of the living areas: kitchen, living room, dining room and office. They form separate rooms within a large, open-plan space. The annexes at the rear of the building have been removed to make way for a terrace and a winter garden. The living areas therefore benefit from two beautiful, light-filled façades, facing east towards the interior of the block and west towards the street.
The shared staircase is interrupted and privatised on the third floor, while the rest of the vertical circulation is moved to the rear façade, where a new staircase begins in the winter garden, connecting the floors. This relocation of the staircase further privatises the apartment, guarantees a generous hall space and increases the feeling of grandeur by extending the vertical and horizontal circulation. On the fourth floor, there is a mezzanine landing that can be used as a play area. The landing leads to two bedrooms and a bathroom. In the master bedroom, the view of the valley can be seen through a skylight, which, from the outside, emphasises the position of the two streets.
Schaerbeek architecture prize 2019
photographs : © delphne mathy