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dmvA . photos: © Sergio Pirrone

In one of the main roads to the historic center of Mechelen, dmvA designed a new building with six apartments. The project responds to the urban historic context characterized by 19th century houses, narrow lots, and the presence of canals. For decades, developers have been struggling with the undeveloped terrain along the Sint-Katelijnestraat. The historical surroundings, the small scale, the irregular plot and the location next to a covered canal were often breaking points to realize a feasible development. ‘In de Stad’ is a contemporary yet honest answer to the developer’s request to build as many residential units as possible on a small undeveloped spot. The result is a sustainable, timeless and small-scale infill project that subtly nestles into the historic urban fabric. Continue reading dmvA

dmvA . photos: © Johnny Umans

Just outside the city center of Mechelen there is a modernist house from the 1950’s designed by Lucien Engels. The renovation of this beautiful house with city garden was done by dmvA. The modernist design language is a great quality of the building and was of course embraced during the renovation process. The goal of the renovation was to respect the existing design and even strengthen it with a few adaptations. Continue reading dmvA

dmvA . photos: © Johnny Umans

The renovation and extension of the funeral home Ceulemans is an answer to its unique location right next to the cemetery of Sint-Katelijne-Waver. The funeral home serves as a catalyst between the cemetery, the parking lot and the street. The building, made of green-gray brick, is due to its serene appearance an externalization of the nearby cemetery. The entrance of the building is a covered outdoor space that the parking lot as a public space connects with the auditorium via the patio with a water feature. A circulation space is created around the water, a symbol for tranquility and reflection. The large doors that lead to the different rooms are covered with stone strips, blending them into the walls. One of the doors lead to the auditorium where the farewell ceremonies are held. The elongated skylight at the front of the room allows the diffuse light to enter, creating a serene atmosphere. Continue reading dmvA

dmvA . PHOTOS: © Sergio Pirrone . + archdaily

About twenty years ago arts center nOna in Mechelen suffered from a lack of space. The existing Art-deco theatre hall had its limits and was no longer sufficient in terms of flexibility. In 1999 they had the idea to build a second theatre hall on the adjacent printing business site. In the meantime, the printing factory was transformed into three temporary rehearsal rooms for artists in need, called nOva. In 2016 the actual renovation and building of the extension of arts centre nOna started. The project fits in the urban planning of the city of Mechelen to boost the cultural axis between the Grand Place and the congress center Lamot. The site is situated in the middle of a block with a medieval alley that literally separates the new and old site. The new extension got embedded in the urban fabric by the succession of interior and exterior rooms with their own materiality and atmosphere. Continue reading dmvA