PROJECT
Residence 'Eileen Gray' in Oostduinkerke, Belgium
ARCHITECT
CLIENT
FACING BRICKS
PROCESSING
random bond, cream-coloured brushed joint
Photos: © Cafeine
Info about'building with Brick7'?
‘Eileen Gray’ by Rietveld Projects is timeless minimalism in its most robust form
Nuanced cream-coloured brickwork defines solidity and creates interaction between horizontal and rounded forms
"A house is not a machine". according to Eileen Gray, a modernistic house should not only be functional, but also sensual.
To call Rietveld Projects a project developer would actually be doing the company from Koksijde an injustice. Every realisation is an architectural masterpiece that combines form and functionality with a special sensuality. In buildings by Rietveld, less is more: every aspect is reduced to the bare essentials. The ‘Eileen Gray’ project, designed by Ghent firm Caan Architecten, is also indicative of the timeless minimalism that the developer strives for.
The apartment block on Leopold II Laan in Koksijde is made up of four levels which house a total of thirteen apartments. What immediately stands out is the playful way in which all the floors relate to each other. To start with, the top floor is set back and consists of two penthouses with a green roof and large terraces that are visually separate from each other. Both volumes have a different cornice height: a nod to the diversity of the buildings in the immediate vicinity and a choice that not only promotes a special spatial interplay but also elegantly crowns the rest of the horizontal building. The windows also extend to the eaves, creating an airy image that contrasts beautifully with the rather massive substructure.
Caan Architecten envisioned an architecture that exuded unity and peace, in terms of both design and use of materials. The top floor is executed in warm Afrormosia wood that reappears in the joinery. The actual core of the building consists of a rectangular volume of brick with a strong horizontal character: the ground floor and two upper floors. Each floor is literally delineated by a slab of nuanced cream-coloured brickwork, supported by rounded façade columns in the same brick. The latter are staggered on the second level, giving the building a special dynamic.
The chosen facing brick is Nature7 Brick J, processed in a random bond with a 12 mm joint. The result is a perfect example of Belgian craftsmanship that shows how a robust material like brick can be used creatively and distinctively. ‘Eileen Gray’ is vintage Rietveld: an apparently simple yet harmonious building, with a tactile, traditional character.
See below the ecological benefit we achieve with this project by using the ecological Brick7 format:
Comparable case studies
‘De Zuidkolk’ - Hooikade, Delft: vibrant architecture and sculptured space for nineteen spacious apartments with expansive views
The special place in the panoramic view of the Schie where Vermeer painted his View of Delft is now marked by the ‘De Zuidkolk’ building. The city may have changed but the view is still as exceptional as ever. Nineteen spacious apartments with expansive views and striking sculptural architecture now occupy this ‘postage stamp’ of a site.
