VUB Rectorate, Vrije Universteit Brussel
Address Boulevard de la Plaine 2
City/Neighborhood Ixelles
Style(s)
- International
- Modern 70-80-90
Original use
- Education
Year 1978
Architect(s) and/or artist(s)
- Braem R.
Remarkable building, total work of art, designed by Antwerp architect and artist Renaat Braem between 1971 and 1978.
Of an oblong elliptical shape, according to its designer: "I consider the ellipse as the main shape of nature, the path of atoms around the nucleus, the orbit of the earth around the sun." - R. Braem.
All the spaces were articulated around a central core. Over the years, the landscaped floors were transformed into partitioned rooms breaking the basic idea.
Listed since 2007, the building has rediscovered its original soul for several years.
The murals by Braem's hand have been restored, the spaces reopened, work carried out by Origin Architecture & Engineering office.
Seen from the outside, the perfectly proportioned building exudes strength and balance.
The curved canopy soaring skyward marks the main entrance.
It is decorated with symbolic figures from Freemasonry, of which Braem was a member.
The most important one: the torch represents light in the dark, the spiral for understanding, the eye for seeing, and the compass for science.
The most ironic is the design of the three superimposed umbrellas, a critique of the administrations umbrella-politics with which the architect was confronted throughout his career.
You can visit the rectorate during the Heritage Days in September.
IXE36 - Unless otherwise stated © www.admirable-facades.brussels for all photos