Brons, Anderlecht

New-build nursery and renovation of the House of Artists.
Facilitating encounters is at the heart of this new nursery: encounters with artists, with other toddlers, with passersby, and with the adjacent school. In this small community, parents arrive with strollers right into the heart of the nursery — even catching a glimpse into the kitchen.
The transition from the street is made through framed views into and through the façades lining the patio: functions of the nursery, the House of Artists, and the school behind all reveal themselves here. The setback of the entrance building provides an initial gesture of welcome and a sense of shelter. The patio functions as a front room upon arrival.

Entrance building as multifunctional core
The connection between a nursery and an art school is not self-evident. Each has its own identity and rhythm. The new building facilitates and creates low-threshold opportunities for open encounters. A number of shared spaces serve as a stage for these moments. The kitchen opens onto the central space adjacent to the play patio. The domestic atmosphere of this central room is reinforced by a slow, gentle staircase leading to the upper floor, where it opens into a second, open space.

Phase: completed (first phase)
Client: Municipality of Anderlecht
Team: joint venture agmen Carton123 architecten
Photos: Séverin Malaud ©urban.brussels
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