Search

Prize / competition

Award and special mention for 2 Belgian projects at European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention

The Organization of the AHI European Award (Architectural Heritage Intervention) has published the finalist projects. The restoration of Gruuthuse Museum in Bruges by B-juxta architecten received a special mention and the film La vie en kit / Life, assembled by Elodie Degavre won the Award in the Dissemination category.

Museum Gruuthuse © Michiel Vergauwe

Gruuthuse Museum

Under the direction of B-juxta, the second phase of restoration works on the Gruuthuse Museum was completed in late 2017. The sculptural reie facade, the imposing roofs, the unusual joinery with stained-glass glazing, the majestic 19th-century ceiling with hanging vaults in the entrance hall, the large attic (now 'Studio+') with multi-coloured stencil paintings on the trusses and the impressive lead-clad belvedere tower, were all carefully restored with great attention to detail. The necessary preservation of the high level of detailing and rich ornamentation typical of the neo-Gothic architectural style requires expertise and sensitivity to adapt the historical patrimony to current standards and comfort requirements.

read more
La vie en kit

La vie en kit

La vie en kit is a documentary on architecture, intended for a wide audience. Its selection in various film festivals (BRIFF, BAFF, FIFA) demonstrates its ability to reach a variety of viewers. At the same time, it is part of a research project exploring the relevance of film to architectural historical research and has been shown in academic contexts. The project originates from the discovery of three forgotten yet innovative, flexible and resilient housing projects of the 70s: Sart-Saint Nicolas (Petit), Patze Englebert system (Englebert) and Mémé (Kroll). The film retraces these adventures up to the present day and is intended as a living archive. La vie en kit is not oriented towards the past. Through three lively stories, it mobilises heritage in its archival, oral and inhabited form to better interrogate our future, as an attempt, as Mark Wigley suggests, "to study and reconfigure the architecture of the architectural archive and thereby come up with more radical concepts of design.”

read more
City hall, Antwerp, hub and Origin with BB

Belgian projects shortlisted

A total of 26 works (16 in the Built Heritage category and 10 in the Outdoor Spaces category) have been selected by the Jury of the AHI European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention, a biennial event organized jointly with the Architects’ Association of Catalonia, and whose main objective is to give visibility and recognition to good practice in heritage intervention in Europe.

  • Bijloke Concert Hall, Ghent, Belgium. DRDH Architects & Julian Harrap Architects
  • Straf! School met lef, Beringen, Belgium. a2o architecten & AAC architecture
  • Wintercircus Mahy, Ghent, Belgium. Atelier Kempe Thill, aNNo architects, Baro Architecture & SUM Project
  • City Hall of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. HUB, Origin and Bureau Bouwtechniek
more about the award