Just Under the Sky

The site lies to the north of Brussels in a rapidly changing industrial zone. The initial study to create a shopping centre, initiated by a private developer, resulted in an analysis of the quartier as a whole, becoming a general development plan for the town. It was within this overall context that a high-capacity retail complex was conceived. Planning constraints limit buildings to a footprint of no more than 3,500 square metres, resulting in six separate entities laid out on a common pedestal base, with car parks and covered streets running between them. Climate control responds to and accommodates seasonal variations rather than being fixed year-round. A pathway across the complex attracts visitors to the beauty of the adjacent canal. The project will attempt to use canal water for cooling in the summer, as well as drawing heat from the neighbouring Brussels incinerator to provide warmth in winter.