Proposal of 2013-05-15

This small video (V99) shows the construction of the lantern from 2012-06-15 to 2013-04-26.

A first 1:1 scale mock up of the lantern façade (Belgo Metal – Tosoni) has been delivered and is inspected for further studies.

Proposal of 2013.01.09.

The temporary association of contractors “CIT BLATON – THOMAS & PIRON” has been awarded the general contract to design and build, with Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS as architects and engineers, the new large Regional Fire Station at Charleroi, Belgium, following its winning competition entry.

Proposal of 2012.11.14 to the “INTERCOMMUNALE WESTLEDE”.

Proposal of 2012.10.19 to the FONDS BELVAL.

Proposal of 2012.09.17 to Gillion Construct for the Brutele-Voo office building at Charleroi Airport.

This small video (V94) shows the construction of the first floors of the lantern.

The design of very energy efficient buildings increasingly concerns lighting. We have therefore drawn this diagram to help proper daylight design from the early sketches on.

The design of the panels (3,54m high, 5,4m wide) with the patchwork of recycled old oak windows is close to an end.

This picture illustrates the main East façade with its 113 panels made out of 1412 different recycled and old oak windows.

Production is going on in parallel, and at high pace, at “Glass Ceyssens” in Heusden-Zolder (for “BelgoMetal”), as we could review it this 2012.08.30.

The ironmongery of the perforated veils hanging the safety stairs in the lantern, with a 2 hours fire rating without any protection has been prototyped at Metal Projects, picture, 2012.09.03.

Our client Van Roey is close to complete the concrete structure.

In the meantime the glass louvers façade has first been evaluated and approved 2011.08.31 at AGC Research Centre (vertical on East and West façades, horizontal on North and South façades) and the patent application filled in on : 2012.01.09 (1105).

Staggered white strips on the outside faces of the ultraclean glass plates who tracks the sun, allow for a “near zero” solar factor while still allowing view and day lighting.

Our third proposal for P1 at Zhoushan has been delivered on 2012-08-06.

ISSOL, the Belgian Leader in BIPV (Building integrated Photovoltaics), commissioned us for the preliminary design of a prototype production building late last year.              

The first inclined columns of the lantern (from -1 to +3) are in position as well as the four first levels of the Vierendeel internal façade spanning the underground train tunnel.

The mock-up of the office in the, nearly fully, preserved “Residence Palace” is inspected.

• The silicate foam forming the internal insulation of the outside walls extends horizontally, above and below, on the salvaged ribbed concrete floors (fire protected for the remaining parts).
• Light shelves, and vertical mirrors within existing wall thickness, limit electrical lighting consumption with “940” fluorescent tubes (92% colour rendering index, 4000°K colour Temperature).
• The 1928’ oak flooring is again put in place on a plywood and battens support.
• A suspended cold ceiling in perforated steel sheets, painted pure white, floats between the old walls and the new transversal partition with oak veneer.

Pictures of offices for the “Boulanger real estate company” 22 years after completion.

A new study model of the lantern is build at scale 1/100 to check the details.