A former apartment building was renovated by murmuur architecten and extended with two residential storeys. On the ground floor, the concrete structure was purified and opened up to house the current bike shop. The two additional storeys on top grant the building a height that accords better with the façade’s length. The top floor has been clad in grey planks that contrast with the light façade and seems like a hat placed on top of the building. While the renovation and extension were carefully accorded with the existing proportions and idiom of the façade, the architects underlined the building’s dignity, making it a friend worthy of the surrounding town houses.
- Louis De Mey
This project is part of the exhibition Composite Presence in the Belgian pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
murmuur architecten: "Lalo is a renovation of an older apartment building in Antwerp. It was extended with two extra floors on top. On the plinth, there is a bike shop with a workplace. The building brings a small alteration to the city’s roof landscape. It increases density, but tries to keep it light."