As part of the international promotion of architectural players, Wallonie-Bruxelles Architectures has employed Jonathan Ortegat, an architectural videographer and photographer, to produce promotional video clips that highlight contemporary productions. The first clips for which he was commissioned were for the projects nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award.

To this end, Jonathan Ortegat put together a team including Jeanne Debarsy (sound production), Loup Mormont (original score), Jean Forest (motion design) and Lucien Keler from Cobalt Films (colour grading).

On the surface, the concept is simple: Jonathan films the building when it is empty. Fixed and slowly moving shots. The style is at once refined, minimalistic and poetic. With a clear editing point of view: dividing the screen in two to multiply perspectives, to create a dialogue between them and, as a result, to create a visual interplay between what is on-screen and what is off-screen.

When it comes to the sound, Jeanne captures the atmosphere of the building when it is full, which allows us to hear what cannot be seen. Against this atmospheric backdrop, words and short phrases emerge like a chorus and form a voiceover taken from interviews with the people who use the building. They tell us about their relationship with the building, the relevant details, architectural anecdotes, how enjoyable it is in each season, the particular light and more.

Finally, the original score by Loup mixes with the environmental sounds and words to create a unique and complex soundscape.

Soon, you will be able to check out videos about:

• iMAL, an artistic centre dedicated to digital culture and technology located in Brussels, produced by the CENTRAL OFFICE FOR ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM in collaboration with NP2F - video
• Cime conductive, a secondary school for young people with Class-4 disabilities located in Brussels, produced by A229 - video
• Ursulinen, a school located in Malines, produced by Label - video
• Mexico, a local residential building and park in Brussels, constructed as part of a district contract, produced by Vers.A - video
• Trinkhall, a museum located in Liège, produced by Beguin-Massart - video

Stay tuned!