Jeugdontmoetingscentrum De Witte Villa

Grimbergen is a municipality on the outskirts of Brussels. It has a relatively small centre surrounded by ribbon development and housing estates. Behind one of the ribbons lies an airfield. Next to the airfield stood the ‘Witte Villa’, a temporary residence for pilots. The local authority decided to demolish the villa, which had fallen into disuse, and replace it with a youth centre.

BULK organised the meeting centre around a walled ‘outdoor room’. Seen from a distance, the centre is reminiscent of a custom-made bunker for young people and their experiments. The outer walls are executed in pre-cast concrete elements and sprayed concrete, where the robustness of the materials also makes way for detail and tactility. There is also a duality to be seen in the choice of materials used in the interior. Although obviously very sturdy and robust, the rooms nevertheless feel extremely playful and warm.

Author: Oswald Devisch. This text has been published in the Architecture Review Flanders N°11. Embedded Architecture.