Thisispaper Community
Join today.
Enter your email address to receive the latest news on emerging art, design, lifestyle and tech from Thisispaper, delivered straight to your inbox.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Instant access to new channels
The top stories curated daily
Weekly roundups of what's important
Weekly roundups of what's important
Original features and deep dives
Exclusive community features
Zuzanna Gasior
Jul 7, 2021

51N4E studio completed the 'Room for the City' - the new extension to the existing family house in Leuven, Belgium.

The client, a contemporary family of five, lives in an archetypical terraced house on a dense plot in the historic centre of Leuven. After acquiring a neighbouring plot, the home could suddenly transform into a collection of connected spaces with very diverse characters, clustered around a very big, high and bright space that becomes the centre of the project.

A small adjoining brick shed is reached through a secret staircase. The room on the street side doubles as a vestibule, a reception space plus storage room. The garden becomes an open-air room with green walls and an oversized water element. The central room is defined by a careful collision of building elements: a terrazzo floor slab, a thin concrete staircase, a green clay covered wall, a large sliding window and a floating glass and stretched metal roof.

These elements create a spatial equilibrium leaving a large part of what surrounds them visible and intact, creating the possibility to connect to the other rooms, or not. Defined not by function but by atmosphere, this collection of rooms becomes an ambivalent living environment, that feels continuous with other public and private rooms that compose the city fabric.

No items found.
Join +
We love less
but there is more.
Become a Thisispaper+ member today to unlock full access to our magazine, advanced tools, and support our work.
Travel Guides
Submission Module
Print Archive
Curated Editions
+ more
Buy now
No items found.
Zuzanna Gasior
Jul 7, 2021

51N4E studio completed the 'Room for the City' - the new extension to the existing family house in Leuven, Belgium.

The client, a contemporary family of five, lives in an archetypical terraced house on a dense plot in the historic centre of Leuven. After acquiring a neighbouring plot, the home could suddenly transform into a collection of connected spaces with very diverse characters, clustered around a very big, high and bright space that becomes the centre of the project.

A small adjoining brick shed is reached through a secret staircase. The room on the street side doubles as a vestibule, a reception space plus storage room. The garden becomes an open-air room with green walls and an oversized water element. The central room is defined by a careful collision of building elements: a terrazzo floor slab, a thin concrete staircase, a green clay covered wall, a large sliding window and a floating glass and stretched metal roof.

These elements create a spatial equilibrium leaving a large part of what surrounds them visible and intact, creating the possibility to connect to the other rooms, or not. Defined not by function but by atmosphere, this collection of rooms becomes an ambivalent living environment, that feels continuous with other public and private rooms that compose the city fabric.

Architecture
section is proudly under the patronage of:
John Pawson

Independent publications like Thisispaper rely on support by readers and companies to be sustainable.

Current patron of Architecture Section:

If you are ready to book a slot, please use the following link:
Become a Patron

Introducing OS
An intimate space which helps creative minds thrive.
Discover. Share. Embrace.
Thisispaper Shop
Shop Now
Thisispaper+Guides
Discover the most inspiring places and stories through carefully-curated travel guides.
Explore all GuidesExplore channels