BMCC, an urban renewal project that plays all the trump cards of the historic city centre

Veldbrand forms the perfect synthesis of facing bricks in the neighbourhood so that the new meeting and convention centre fits in effortlessly with its surroundings

Bruges city centre is another rich attraction. The Beursplein (Exhibition Hall Square) now lives up to its name because since 31 March, it has boasted the brand new Bruges Meeting and Convention Centre (BMCC) where an impersonal car park used to mar the view. Designed by Souto de Moura Architects and META Architectuurbureau, this gem connects the neighbourhood in every respect while also attracting lots of tourists to the heritage city at the same time.

The old exhibition hall had been an eyesore for a long time and was no longer physically able to meet today’s programming needs. So the city of Bruges decided to launch an urban renewal project that could give West Bruges a new dynamic attraction for both Belgians and visitors from abroad. Multifunctionality was an important factor in this – the new building had to be able to host both trade fairs, events and conferences – and the building had to be anchored in its surroundings. Because of that, the whole area around the new-build project was also redesigned but not without the numerous beech trees that had been such a feature of the Beursplein for decades. On the contrary, these were preserved and given an even more prominent role by introducing oversized tree beds and evergreen underplanting.

The commission to realise the brand new building was awarded to the partnership of Souto de Moura Architects and META Architectuurbureau. They delivered a landmark urban renewal project that met the city’s demands perfectly. With a multifunctional exhibition hall of 4,500 m2 on the ground floor and a conference area with auditorium and restaurant on the upper floors for more than 500 participants, the BMCC can easily host any type of event. Thanks to a number of technical interventions and double walls, it is even possible to hold concerts there without causing a noise nuisance for the neighbourhood. The flexibility of the building is extremely ambitious. “An exhibition space is often interpreted as a closed box but we see that as a missed opportunity to get more out of it for the local residents. After all, we are in the historic centre of Bruges. For that reason, we surrounded the whole of the ground floor with glass. When there are no trade fairs on, these glazed outside walls can be opened up to create a public covered square for the neighbourhood. For us, that was an important starting point for the concept.”

The two functions of the building were also translated in the architecture in a striking way. While the exhibition hall on the ground floor is horizontally oriented and transparent, completely opening it up to the neighbourhood, the conference area is in turn stacked vertically using brick architecture. A huge cantilever creates a covered entrance and makes the monumental building appear to rest on a glass plinth. This floating canopy provides a sheltered meeting place in both summer and winter and also organises a gradual transition between the forecourt and the entrance to the building which it also accentuates. In order to enable the construction of this impressive 8-metre cantilever, two gigantic concrete walls were built, which run through the building and pull everything together.

The entrance is also highlighted by the presence of a beautiful work of art by Philip Aguirre y Otegui. The bronze sculpture entitled ‘De Bron’ (The Source) references water as the source of all life and an excellent meeting place. This stacking of playful and organic forms contrasts with the geometric pattern of the building’s façade.
A striking feature of the façade are the brick columns that create a clearly defined structure and lend an attractive cadence while protecting against the sun at the same time – a completely deliberate choice by the design team. “There is a larger story behind this. After all, the building is used for both trade fairs and conferences. In the case of the latter, it is important to leave a lasting impression on a visitor who may only come here once. That person should remember his visit to Bruges and the BMCC – hence the striking façade that still fits in perfectly with its surroundings. The choice of facing brick was matched to a palette of facing bricks that we found in the neighbourhood. We were able to pick exactly the right colour tint based on that college. The synthesis of this was a reddish-brown brick from Vande Moortel. Veldbrand Red fits in beautifully with these surroundings in terms of colour, nuance and texture and the white lime spots in the brick also exude the history people were looking for.”

The special processing also creates a link to this history: the bricks are fully set in the mortar and then not grouted but simply levelled with a trowel. A bit like the old traditional method that is often found here in West Bruges. So as in the past, rather than smooth perfect joints this gives you rough joints measuring 12 mm on average in a standard grey mortar, which was the intention. The technique not only suits the brick, it is the ideal choice for the project and ensures that it fits in with its surroundings. The large fins are also set according to the traditional method, using a steel frame with L-profiles as a base. The Veldbrand Red bricks are set in the mortar around it so that the insides are hollow and 60 cm wide at a depth of 1.3 metres. Every 3 metres, an expansion joint was also provided in the same colour cement which was also roughened. As a result, they don’t stand out and the brick columns look solid. The cantilever was realised using strips that were bonded to panels fixed to the ceiling using a slatted structure.

With a maximum E level of E58, the BMCC is also an energy-efficient NZE building. It is integrally sustainable and special attention was paid to integral accessibility, acoustic comfort and rational waste management, so it certainly meets all the requirements of today. “In addition, it is also culturally sustainable. Its function was defined for the long term and that’s how it has been constructed too. It’s not a building that shouts at you, it’s honest, sincere and pure. It sits there modestly and capitalises on the city’s trump cards. But we believe that a neutral building can be beautiful too. From that perspective, it is also sustainable and who knows, in a hundred years’ time it may have developed into a monument.”

With its high-quality architecture and appropriate colour palette, the BMCC fits in wonderfully with its surroundings and shows Bruges that it does not have to draw on its historical heritage alone to excel. The two can reinforce each other. The best example of this can be found on the upper floors where the brick fins direct the viewer’s gaze from inside to outside and you are increasingly treated to views of the Bruges skyline, with the roof terrace as the high point of the experience. The BMCC enters into dialogue with the three towers of the Belfry, Saint Salvator’s Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, merging past and present beautifully.

The construction of the brick columns:

Comparable case studies

Expressive brickwork exudes the craft of ‘brick making’

The site of this remarkable house was originally an undeveloped building plot for a detached property on an old green parcel of land from the 1960s. However, the clients didn’t like the stereotypical conformist concept of a detached house on a neatly mowed lawn.