Journal: Office building in Louvain-la-Neuve
Daylight and the extensive use of glass are the main features of the new European headquarters of the glass manufacturer AGC, situated on the outskirts of Louvain-la-Neuve south of Brussels. The double-storey volume is wrapped in a translucent exterior skin made of adjustable, silk-printed glass louvres and is elevated by one floor in order to accommodate the car park beneath it and to save space. The floor plans are arranged in a comb-like structure consisting of four open-space office wings, accommodating almost 500 employees. There is a canteen and a conference centre on the western side as well as a central atrium that runs from north to south across the building. Good daylight provision was a major design objective in the new build: The office wings are a mere eleven metres deep and achieve at least a daylight factor of 4 in almost all areas.
