413GAN
Program
Urban project, Collective housing
Location
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
Date
2024
Themes
Urban, Renovation, Inclusive, Public
Phase
Ongoing
Surfaces
4000 m²
Team
Angela.D, Lokus, BESP, MK Engineering
Client
Logement Molenbeekois
Budget
€ 26 000 000
Major renovation of Gandhi Towers 2 and 4
These social housing buildings are part of a series of five high-rise buildings, each with 17 floors, dotted along Mahatma Gandhi Avenue in Molenbeek. They are built against the overpass of Line 28 and the western metro line and overlook the Sippelberg sports grounds.
In 2022, a feasibility study confirmed the value of preserving this modernist complex while actively working on the bases to establish neighbourhood facilities and redevelop the open space.
The two northern towers were the first to be built in 1970, while the others, recognisable by the bluish colour of the glazed bricks that adorn their gables, were completed a decade later. While the latter do not require urgent renovation, the same cannot be said for towers 2 and 4, which suffer from various common problems.
Le Logement Molenbeekois and the SLRB wish to take advantage of this renovation to expand their housing offer by creating a variety of inclusive housing types that meet the needs of the most vulnerable, be it single mothers, large families or people with reduced mobility.
Inclusive housing
Originally consisting of four identical flats per floor, the layout was freed up by moving the vertical circulation areas outside, as required by fire regulations.
Despite the rigidity of the existing concrete structure, which was preserved, flats ranging from one to four bedrooms were created. These fifty or so homes are accessible to wheelchair users via walkways on the rear facade. The circulation spaces are generous, as are the wide landings on the gables, as they provide spaces for socialising and mutual supervision between tenants. Each dwelling also has a large terrace at the front, offering a view to the west.
These three features – walkways, terraces and landings – give each facade a unique character that is both comprehensive and contextual, while a narrowing at the corners sculpts the volume, establishing its physical boundaries and serial nature.
Gender perspective is integrated across the board in this pilot project for building improvement.
The Angela.D association has observed that the most vulnerable people (women, older people and people with disabilities) are those most often assigned to the domestic sphere.
For this reason, as part of the improvement project, various intermediate spaces are planned to externalise certain functions and share care work. ‘Joker rooms’ on the outskirts of the domestic sphere are intended for small communities of residents. A community room facilitates friendly gatherings between neighbours. The base of the tower houses neighbourhood associations and assistants who help people with disabilities with their daily life.
