VERS.A, 2021

A triangular plot of wasteland at the corner of two streets has been redeveloped in the heart of a neoclassical district of Ixelles. An apartment block was built against the blind gables of the adjacent houses, while the tip of the site was landscaped as a public square and planted with trees.

The shared entrance to the two housing units – a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor and a duplex on the next two – is strategically turned towards the square, to bring the public space to life. Following a request from the district, the rest of the ground floor was converted into a bicycle storage area accessible to local residents.

To ensure a dialogue between the project and its context, VERS.A has endeavoured to harmonise the scale, alignment and form of the building with those of the neighbouring dwellings. The architectural vocabulary has been reinterpreted, maintaining vertical bay openings, overhanging cornices, continuous bands and wrought-iron railings, while innovating with white brick cladding, a polygonal canopy and open bays that mark out a third-floor terrace.

Practical information
Only outdoor areas will be accessible during the tour.

→ Find out more about this project nominated for the Brussels Architecture Prize
If you loved the project you visited, why not vote for it in the People's Choice Award? Voting is open until 5 December and the winner will be announced on 12 December: https://brusselsarchitectureprize.be/en/vote/.