Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt / zigzag architecture + Altiplan

Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior PhotographyGroupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Exterior Photography, Facade, WindowsGroupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography, StairsGroupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography, WindowsGroupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - More Images+ 36

  • Project Director: Pierre Gilbert, Benoît Jacques
  • Project Manager: Pascal Charles, Davida Randriambanona
  • General Contractor : STRABAG/GILLION
  • Mep And Structural Engineers: ELLYPS
  • City: Brussels
  • Country: Belgium
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Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Exterior Photography, Windows, Waterfront
© Julien Lanoo

Text description provided by the architects. The Bempt municipal park in Forest is linked to the large green promenade around Brussels. In the summertime, it is a family place to play ball, picnic and take a nap in the open air. Behind this ancient humid plain, from the sports fields, you can see the school through the foliage, which is reflected in the ponds.

Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Julien Lanoo
Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Julien Lanoo

The building integrates two schools, nursery and primary, which operate separately, but interconnected to form a single architectural composition. A stack of three brick volumes forms an arch under which the students can take shelter on a tier. The articulation of the volumes is done according to the steep slope of the land and connects the interior spaces and the courtyards oriented in two different directions. This naturally creates varied perspectives and atmospheres.

Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography, Windows
© Julien Lanoo
Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Image 32 of 41
Ground Floor Plan
Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography, Windows, Wood
© Julien Lanoo

For the classes, there are two large windows at children's height; for the circulation of the primaries in double height, a vertical curtain wall system constitutes a large interior arcade along the courtyard; for the common areas, long glazed bands are installed.

Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography
© Julien Lanoo
Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography, Stairs
© Julien Lanoo

On the Chaussée de Neerstalle side, the school asserts its character as a public facility through the large overhang which forms a large protective awning above the entrance to the kindergartens. A large step takes part in this staging. Primary school students walk along the building towards the end of the park protected by a recess overlooking the ground floor.

Laterally, from the large lawn, the building spans its entire length and stands out in several successive planes. The school has a reassuring and understated presence, without giving the impression of dominating the park.

Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography
© Julien Lanoo
Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Image 36 of 41
Section BB
Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Interior Photography
© Julien Lanoo

Brick acts as a link with the facades of Brussels streets and brings a rational and urban character to the building. Very stretched and very flat, lay seamlessly according to a wild apparatus, it forms large flat areas that look like bark. Its format, its implementation and its nuances, with tones close to those of the tree trunks in the park, engage in a dialogue through mimicry.

Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Julien Lanoo

The arrival of the school adds real added value to the neighborhood in response to the growing demand for teaching premises in the municipality. Its location and configuration seem to plead for a stop of constructions in front of the street in order to preserve the park.

Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt  / zigzag architecture + Altiplan - Exterior Photography, Windows, Forest
© Julien Lanoo

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Project location

Address:Brussels, Belgium

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
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Cite: "Groupe Scolaire Parc du Bempt / zigzag architecture + Altiplan" 29 Aug 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/967573/groupe-scolaire-parc-du-bempt-zigzag-architecture> ISSN 0719-8884

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