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Lorette Convent Apartments in Mechelen
Contemporary Belgian Housing: New Residential Building – design by dmvA, Architects
7 Nov 2017
Lorette Convent Apartments
Architects: dmvA
Location: Drabstraat 6?10, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium 
Lorette Convent Apartments

By provoking action and reaction between past and present through the application of contemporary architecture, the remodeling of this entire block of buildings?including landmark buildings such as Hooghuys and the former Lorette convent?adheres to this evolutionary principle.

The new development, Melano, is located between Hooghuys and Sweert. This apartment building deliberately leans towards Sweert and distances from Hooghuys, with a specific tension created by the cantilever on the first floor. The white brick architecture is a response to the partly lime-washed, partly plastered facade of Hooghuys and the classic uniform gables of Sweert. Covered terraces create a dialogue with the two-dimensionality of the historic facades on Drabstraat. In turn, integrated vertical lighting strips not only draw attention to the contemporary facade and, therefore, celebrate modern life, they also light the street and thereby dispense a contemporary idea of interaction with the public space.
This building is also key to the restructuring of the site. As water finds its meandering way through the landscape, this project is dev...