Page 156 - AIT1218_E-Paper

BANKEN UND BEHÖRDEN • BANKS AND AUTHORITY BUILDINGS INNERE WERTE • INNER VALUES

Die geöffnete Decke schafft eine großzügige Empfangshalle. • The ceiling opening creates a generous entrance hall.

Punktuell gesetzte Farbflächen sorgen für Orientierungspunkte. • Coloured areas add points of orientation. Die innenliegenden Teeküchen sind monochrom. • The internal tea kitchens are monochrome.

T he brick building dating from around 1900 originally accommodated orphan chil- the reception counter, waiting zone, and children’s play area is located in the cen-
dren, later the building with its own chapel served as a retirement and nursing
tre. Here, a generous opening in the ceiling turns the previously dark space into a
home, and recently, the welfare office of Halle, Belgium, moved into the "Old light two-storey entrance foyer with varied visual relations. From here, visitors
Orphanage". In 2008, WAW architects had won the competition for the comprehen- reach the counselling rooms on the ground and first floor. The offices and meeting
sive renovation of the impressive building. As a contact point for social issues — from rooms of the individual departments are equipped with the necessary walls, but
family assistance to rental issues to debt counseling — the institution had to convey are otherwise distributed all over the building as mainly open-plan areas. Only the
an open appearance to the citizens. In addition, a part serves as an extension for the heads of department were assigned separated offices in the form of transparent
public welfare organisation OCMW, which is based on the neighbouring site. As a glass cubes. Additionally, there are vibrantly coloured meeting points for informal
visual connection of both facilities was desired, the main entrance was moved from conversations and internal tea kitchens. On all levels, deliberately placed bold
the street side to the northeast façade facing the OCMW. The old entrance is now used colour highlights on walls and furniture create a welcoming appearance and help
for prestigious purposes. A striking elongated section adjoins the second floor; it orientation.
accommodates a multi-purpose hall and acts as a roof above the new entrance.
Especially in the dark, the all-around glazing affords exciting views of the hall’s History and present complement each other
expressive ceiling.
The second floor accommodates additional offices as well as two meeting areas with
Contemporary services behind historic walls different designs: The neighbouring welfare authority holds meetings in the former
chapel. Apart from necessary refurbishment measures and the technical equipment,
The external envelope was cautiously refurbished in order to maintain the charac- this room remained unchanged and tells of the building’s history of more than 100
ter of the historic building. For example, the necessary insulation required for ener- years. The newly installed glass section with the multi-purpose hall offers a view to
gy-related renovation was applied on the inside. Two new openings – each on the the streetscape. The hall is used for conferences as well as events. The diamond-sha-
previously closed stone façades – are designed as large-format showcases and ped supporting structure of the glazing is inspired by the chapel’s historic stained-
already indicate the new user from a distance. The desired transparency becomes glass windows. The architects continued the graphic patterns on the wall panels
apparent when entering the building: visitors arrive in a social welfare office with which shield the glass cube towards the brick façade. The circular recesses in the fair-
an open and inviting design. The architects completely altered the floor plan to faced concrete ceiling have an aesthetic presence and serve functional aspects. They
adapt it to the required room schedule. A newly inserted concrete-and-steel struc- have an acoustically effective finish and accommodate plain lighting modules.
ture now provides flexibly usable rooms on all five levels. The entrance hall with Besides that, the creative intervention helped reduce the material input.

156 • AIT 12.2018