Joël Claisse, Brussels
Architecture without concessions

In several of his projects the architect articulates everything in simplicity and attention to detail of contemporary activities involving existing buildings and wages a daily battle against an architecture that takes no risks.  "We must stop dividing the habitat into lots" he urges (together with Pierre Loze) in Belgium New Architecture volume 4, published by Prisme. You have to renew the frame to give it new life. We must stop forcing architects to compete according to procedures that reduce their function to that of mere suppliers of plans and documents with a view to building. “Architecture and urban development must reclaim their place in the heart of our society in the study of the art of living.”
The in-depth revaluation of suburbs and creating a mixture of functions in the city centre is a different creed. Both today and yesterday. There are too many creative projects that are criticised by politicians or community associations.

In the case of the old convent of the Franciscan Sisters, the neo classical façades, which have been preserved because of issues involving urban restrictions, allow us to see the large spiral staircase behind a protruding wall consisting wholly of windows in the main façade. The inner volumes, transformed to accommodate lawyers’ offices, have been designed in the spirit of minimalism from the new structure in visible concrete to the furniture and lighting appliances drawn by the architect and his co-workers. The guiding principles behind renovation work on an old brasserie for a company of advanced technology in the heart of an urban island, were rediscovering the building’s original exterior – namely traces of the past -  and designing a modification with an uncompromisingly contemporary approach. The architect has decided to preserve the thick brick walls, but also to open one of the long front façades in its central section by creating a large vertical frame around an atrium, and to restructure the innermost volume on either side of this hall which generates a large amount of light.

In 2002, the length of the Quai aux Pierres de Taille, the object of the renovation (a building from 1926), was rather unusual in view of its dimensions: a façade of 40 metres and a depth of 30 metres divided over four levels. The framework and the window frame, which are then converted into two large technical spaces, are placed along the length of the building to unite the building. The housing projects are executed in the same spirit, simple and quiet. And so the villas have their façades renovated while the rear undergoes a radical face-lift: the demolition and reconstruction of a concrete canvas, the opening for a large window area, a detailed study of the terraces, areas for inside and outside.  For the renovation of a large traditional house situated in one of the green boroughs in Brussels, the Joël Claisse Architecture firm gave new a space to the innermost volumes, to free them from traditional barriers, open them to the light and determine future views. The glass extension links the garden to the living area and creates a large area for sport and recreational activities below the terrace. 

The respect attributed to the testimonies of the past may not form a hindrance to the architectural creation which should be encouraged. We see this in the architecture of Joël Claisse, which is sober and simple, with a respect for the building and the scale of the city, and with attention to constructional details and the choice of material.

www.claisse-architecte.be