‘Tondo’ is a footbridge that connects two buildings of the Belgian Federal Parliament in the center of Brussels. The bridge was explicitly designed as a spatial element, rather than a technical solution. Named after the tradition of the ‘Tondo’, a circular Renaissance painting, the bridge is shaped like a ring, and suspended between the two buildings.

A generous walk around an enclosed outer space is not simply a corridor, but also functions as a meeting space. At the same time, the ‘detour’ allows the height difference of 90cm between the floors of the two buildings to be bridged using a single, wheelchair-accessible slope of 4%.

Towards the city, the bridge shows itself as a ‘closed’ element, in the tradition of, for example, the Bridge of Sighs. Coated with mirrored panels, it reflects the 18th-century facade of the Parliament building and its recent addition across the street. Upon closer look, the glazed opening reveals a subtle view of the passages between the two buildings. Structurally, the bridge is a stiff disc, and its floor hangs from the roof with a minimal presence of structure: a near ephemeral pavilion between the buildings.

Text provided by the architect.

La entrada Tondo Bridge se publicó primero en Global Spaces.

This single large room is dedicated to one function, to enjoy a private collection of art. Inserted in a steep slope of a garden of a villa in Brussels, the room connects the two different levels on each side of the building. On the higher level, the sliding door opens to a steel platform and a spiral stair that takes you down from the street level to the lower garden level. On the other side, a large window gives way to a roofed terrace overlooking the garden.

A reflective inclined roof negotiates its surrounding context by following the slope of the context. The negotiation between the simple concrete box inserted into the slope and the inclined roof makes a gap between the two, creating a perfect opportunity for taking in natural light. The room finally provides a simple yet comfortable double-height space, referring to the atelier typology with its shed roof.

Text provided by the architect.

La entrada Art Room se publicó primero en Global Spaces.

Xavier Hufkens – a leading contemporary art gallery in Europe – reopened its Sint-Jorisstraat gallery in Brussels in the summer of 2022, following a spatial reformulation of the existing flagship gallery with an important new extension by Robbrecht en Daem architecten. The project holds a special connection to the building’s history: thirty years ago, Robbrecht en Daem – in collaboration with Marie-José Van Hee architecten – converted the classical mansion into the gallery’s first home. The design combined the everyday with the artistic experience. That story continues with a new statement in the city of Brussels.

The new building stands apart as a monolithic figure with one side of the building completely detached from its neighbour. This disconnection creates a transition between street and garden, between outside and inside. The interstice allows a flash of light to mark the visual start of (a visit to) the gallery. The rue St-Georges façade, with its single opening, manifests itself as a one-eyed stela and symbolizes ‘the expectation of art’.

La entrada Xavier Hufkens Gallery se publicó primero en Global Spaces.