Jo Crepain

At the end of 2003, Ť Jo Crepain Architect ’73-03 ť took a look back over the architect’s thirty year career, a book followed in Autumn 2004 by a retrospective exhibition on the same subject at the Design Museum Gent. Discrete, effective, Crepain has been behind hundreds of projects, essentially in Belgium and in the Netherlands. In his early career, the concrete block in a tender colour gave his homes a very characteristic feature that is easy to recognise. But this post-modern language gradually disappeared from his work to be replaced by a permeability of influences that he shaped in line with his personality. As Crepain has never let himself be trapped by fixed rules. The building designed for the firm UCO played on the contrasts between a massive base in dark handcrafted bricks and a hemispheric roof in aluminium. Happy to repeat this strong image, the architecture reworked it and adapted it in his following work including single family homes. The touch of poetry is never far.

The challenge of the maison Moereels was to transform an abandoned water tower into a private residence without deleting the memory of the site. Raw concrete, steel and glass, materials that are part and parcel of the industrial aesthetic, reinforce the image of the building in the landscape. Jo Crepain and his project manager Dirk Engelen exploited to the full the different levels by giving each level a unique function. Via the glass surfaces that clad the towers can be seen the original pillars and the metallic ladders that link each level, as was the case in the past. This transparency dematerialises the building.

For Renson, a specialist in ventilation and solar protection, Crepain developed their office building in Waregem according to the Healthy Building Concept. The form is unusual for the architect, who is not usually a fan of floating buildings. Brought to life with changing colours once night falls, this large glass complex resting on a forest of pillars incorporate the most innovative ventilation systems, combined with slatted awnings. The full parts are clad in aluminium.

Unanimously praised for the accuracy and control of the architectural gesture, the Telindus headquarters close to Louvain, confirms the personal evolution of Crepain and his amazing maturity. His contours are reminiscent of those of a castle, a recurrent theme, with a massive base in concrete that gives rise to the glass volumes. The precise design, the materials and the techniques create a remarkable sense of unity. The architect has thrown himself completely into this ambitious project covering 20,000 m˛ of office space and has found an exciting way of conveying the spirit of the company.