Athénée Royal Paul Delvaux

Momentary association

Programme: The new branch of the Athénée Royal Paul Delvaux is located in a former office building in the heart of the Lauzelle district of Louvain-la-Neuve. The project takes advantage of the building's existing structure by reworking the spaces around a central atrium, bringing natural light into the heart of the building and creating a meeting and exchange zone.

About: Located in the Lauzelle district of Louvain-la-Neuve, the Athénée Royal Paul Delvaux has taken over a former office building to create a new school branch. The school's integration into the neighborhood is achieved through the creation of a new alleyway, in line with the existing mobility logic. Crossing the plot from one end to the other, it defines the school's forecourt, defining a meeting place sheltered from the elements and representing both a preamble and a social epilogue.
The approach envisaged for the redevelopment of the existing building aims to take advantage of the post-and-beam structural rigor as a structuring element of the space. To this end, the new school is organized around an atrium, providing a centrality at the heart of the educational space. On the first floor, the forum opens generously onto the external courtyard, while collective and administrative functions are organized around it. On the second floor, the classrooms are organized around the building's perimeter, offering a high degree of interaction with the surrounding environment during moments of concentration, while meeting and exchange areas are concentrated around the forum.