MAISON DES SCIENCES DE L’HOMME

MAISON DES SCIENCES DE L'HOMME

REFURBISHMENT OF A MODERN LABORATORY OF KNOWLEDGE

The result of the wishes of historian Fernand Braudel, founder of the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, and the philosopher Gaston Berger, this building – exemplary of the modern period with the transparency of its envelope – symbolises the human sciences open to the world.

In 1968, Paul Depondt, a partner at the Lods Depondt Beauclair practice, presented a functional and flexible architecture that could be adapted to the evolving needs of researchers, and enveloped by a curtain whose transparency is modulated by the delicate interplay of external folding metal shutters. Inside, the different floors are connected by pairs of straight, one-way flights of stairs.

Restoration of the building’s transparency has reinstated the sense of the social sciences being open to the world.

The boldly designed metal structure was unfortunately protected from the fire by asbestos, a fact that led to the building being abandoned between 2010 and 2016, and to a total reconstruction and restoration of the envelope and interiors.

The proposed refurbishment was designed to respect the refinement of the building and the wishes of the client, while also improving the ease of use. As the original systems of forced-air heating and fan-coil units brought discomfort to users, the technical plants were completely replaced with systems of radiant ceiling panels for both heating and cooling. The creation of a central stair cavity to the right of the former carpark ramp and of a patio in the garden provided new spaces for relaxation and catering illuminated by natural light.

The project demonstrated that it is possible to restore architectural works from the second half of the 20th century without compromising on environmental concerns or the expectations of the comfort characteristic of the 21st century.