Xaveer De Geyter Architects | XDGA
A new media district will be created on the former national television site at the border of the city of Brussels. Nowadays this site is somehow isolated from the rest of the neighbourhood, mainly because of the road infrastructure all around it. The future master plan aims to open up the site and turn it into a multi-functional campus, allowing it to become part of the surrounding city.
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The new Media House, a combination of small institutions, start-ups, educational program and the tv channel BX1, is situated on the border of the media district site. It therefore has the potential to become the first hot spot and link between the city and the campus.
The building functions as an open public platform inserted in the sloping ground, connecting the level of the Boulevard Reyers to the media campus on the other side, 2,50 meters below. The main entrance, the restaurant and the auditorium help animating the public space of the immediate surroundings and on the covered plaza, where several activities can take place during day and night.
The different programs are stacked horizontally, allowing great flexibility; they meet through different types of connecting spaces, encouraging informal interaction between the different users.
The building is fully glazed, showing the animation happening on the inside.
For technical reasons, the tv studios don’t require any openings to the outside. This part of the program is positioned in a black box on the top floors, creating a strong identity for the building. One large window allows the tv studios to have a permanent view onto Brussels’ skyline.
