With the ever growing demand for housing near the Belgium capital, this former office tower will be transformed into a housing project. The brief of the closed competition stated the intention to demolish the original façade to make way for a new face for the tower.
In its current state the Leopold tower is the most interesting building in the neighborhood. It has a unique personality derived from its materials, its decorative effects and construction method.
This architecture is an opportunity; how can it cater to the needs of future inhabitants without compromising its unique identity and history?
From within the tower the inhabitants will benefit from the magnificent views the building already provides. Terraces will be added to allow for additional exterior spaces and to manage the sunlight and wind.
The suggested intervention is above all inspired by economic values. Only adding elements where needed and keeping as much of the original building as possible. As such, the concept is inheritably driven by an ecological attitude towards building. Adapting and reusing where possible to keep the ‘grey energy’ at a minimum. The prefabricated concrete façade allows these interventions as if it already anticipated its future mutations.
The result is a building with a strong personality. The tower is allowed to continue its history.
