Studying in scarlet
Renovation and Redesign of a School in Aalst by Aux
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The redesigned multifunctional hall at the school in Aalst has been accentuated with a vivid shade of red. © Johnny Umans
In Aalst, the Aux architecture studio have redesigned the entrance and event hall of a school. The multifunctional spaces stand out thanks to their brightness and accents in a vivid shade of red.
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The new entrance is set back from the road. The lateral floor-to-ceiling glazing allows views into the school even when the gate is closed. © Johnny Umans
The city of Aalst is in the Belgian province of East Flanders, halfway between Ghent and Brussels. The Sint-Maartensintituut is located in the centre, where it takes up the entire depth of a block of buildings. However, its hidden position between the high building walls made it necessary to redesign and visually highlight the entrance to the school.
A redesigned entrance
The school is accessed via a building that stands along a road. From there, an inner corridor leads to the classrooms and play areas. The planners consider this corridor to be a road in itself. The gate is recessed from the facade: when open, it disappears and leaves the impression of a laneway. The corners thus created at the entrance echo the appearance of building corners at a crossroads.
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In the entrance corridor – the new “road” – a ramp leads into the bike cellar. Red elements add pops of colour here as well. © Johnny Umans
Coloured accents
As flooring, the architects from Aux have used the same square-shaped concrete slabs they used for the footpaths: grey for pedestrians, grey and red for students on bicycles. A ramp guides the cyclists into the subterranean bike cellar. Mirrors visually dissolve the two free-standing supports. The red railing accentuates the space, which has otherwise been kept in neutral tones.
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The set-in box enables the hall to be divided into spaces of various sizes. The red colour of the drapes inside the box is reminiscent of theatre curtains. © Johnny Umans
A multifunctional hall
In order to make the most of unused areas, the planners have revitalized a corridor once used for storage. Moreover, they have joined the former refectory and library to create a multifunctional room. Instead of the old brick walls, a red box has been placed in the middle of the room to allow flexible spatial distribution. Folding elements can divide this space into one, two or three rooms as needed.
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An acoustically effective glass wall delimits the reading area from the hall. © Johnny Umans
The dining-room function has been preserved and has been enhanced with the additional functions of auditorium, study hall and theatre. At the end of the large space, a glass wall acoustically separates the reading area, while maintaining visual references and ensuring brightness.
Architecture: AUX bureau voor architectuur en stedenbouw
Client: VZW Vora, Sint Maarten Instituut
Standort: Esplanadeplein 6, 9300 Aalst (BE)