Year:
2024
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Lead architects:
Francisco Mangado – Mangado Y Associados SL N. Collaborceone Con Arciplague Architects
Text details provided by architects. The project proposes to construct a 21,300 square meter fair in Belgium city lease in Belgium, which is located in a transitional area between an industrial area and a neighborhood of residential towers since the 1960s, mainly inhabited by migrants in southern Europe.
The site, which was previously occupied by industrial buildings and was subject to extensive refinement operation, is located in an urban environment that is poorly qualified, but the possibility of change due to the presence of notable pieces of modern architecture. Although fairgrounds usually follow the criteria of efficiency, which is characterized by large, blurred and functional places without architectural pretense, the project advocates more ambitious vision. The purpose of the building is to actively contribute to the urban improvement of the immediate environment, while not compromising the logical requirements and large -scale visitor dynamics.
The design strategy clearly distinguishes access areas. From the residential area, from where the public will reach, there are more civic-oriented places: main entrance, restaurants, cafes, offices and less large-scale exhibition areas. In contrast, logistic access points, essential but generating intervention, are located at the opposite end next to the industrial area. In this way, large exhibitions remain in the center, which are different from the most conflicting flow.
A major decision is the construction of an access plaza opened for the city and attached on three sides by the arms of the building. This plaza not only enhances the urban scale of the fairground, but also provides a place for public events such as music or performance, which strengthens the relationship between the life and city life. In addition, the arrival of the tram, which combines this new plaza with the center of lease, further reinforces the urban character of the project.
Plaza, with its periphery housing cafes and restaurants, is imagined as a new center of life for neighbors, offering services that are currently leading to lack of economic opportunities and economic opportunities for the management of the fairground and neighborhood. Therefore, the building not only completes its function as an exhibition place, but also becomes the “ambassador” of the city for visitors.
Regarding construction solutions, exhibition areas, which are large and flexible (capable of joining the same place), allow truck entry to facilitate the event setup, such as the recent National horse riding championship. The metal structure covers a distance of eighty meters, while visible installations are arranged in a rigid manner. The interior is characterized by the major use of exposed concrete, and the exterior is solved through facials and pre-coated metal panels on the roofs, emphasizing the restraint and functionality of the whole.
