Menko

Conversion of a textile factory into apartments and a school. The Menko building survived the massive fireworks explosion in 2000, that led to the reconstruction of the entire Roombeek area. We decided to place an entwined ‘double helix’ staircase in the center, so all the facades would remain available for new apartments. To preserve its strong cubic appearance we chose not to place any balconies on the building. Instead double-height winter gardens were located at the four corners. This also helped to achieve pleasant spaces in a building with very limited ceiling heights. For the school we designed an extension that mimics the original shed roofs, traces of which were still visible in the façade. A new construction with south-facing apartments is built above a parking garage, which also serves the inhabitants of the Menko building.