Architectural Cases

Brussels is set to redefine its cultural landscape with the grand reopening of the Kanal-Centre Pompidou. This monumental project, transforming a historic Citroën factory, promises to be a beacon for modern and contemporary art and architecture in Europe. The revamped complex, a collaborative effort with Paris' Centre Pompidou, will house an extensive collection of artworks and offer a vibrant public space, fostering a new chapter in the city's artistic narrative. Its reopening in November 2026 marks a significant milestone, establishing Brussels as a major cultural hub.

The Kanal-Centre Pompidou is not merely an exhibition space but a comprehensive cultural destination designed to engage a diverse audience. Its thoughtful layout, rich programming, and architectural brilliance are poised to make it a landmark institution, celebrating both established masters and emerging talents while serving as a dynamic center for community and artistic exchange.

Brussels Embraces Modern Art: The Kanal-Centre Pompidou Transformation

Brussels is on the cusp of a cultural renaissance with the impending relaunch of the Kanal-Centre Pompidou. This ambitious project, slated to open its doors on November 28, 2026, involves the comprehensive transformation of a former Citroën factory into what is being hailed as Europe's largest new museum. This institution will be the first in Brussels fully dedicated to modern and contemporary art and architecture. The inaugural exhibitions are a testament to a significant collaboration with Paris' renowned Centre Pompidou, showcasing a curated selection of over 350 artworks primarily from the Pompidou's vast collection, supplemented by pieces from Kanal and other Belgian and international art institutions.

The expansive industrial building, strategically located along the Brussels canal, encompasses 40,000 square meters. Under its vast roof, the museum and public cultural space will feature five floors of exhibition galleries, dedicated areas for performance and film, workshops, and community spaces. Visitors can also enjoy various amenities, including cafes, shops, a rooftop restaurant and bar offering panoramic city views, and even an in-house bakery. Large circulation areas will remain accessible to the public, even without a museum ticket, encouraging broader community engagement. The architectural redesign of the former factory is a collaborative masterpiece led by Atelier Kanal, a consortium comprising Swiss architects EM2N, Brussels-based noAarchitecten, and London's Sergison Bates architects, ensuring a harmonious blend of industrial heritage and contemporary design.

A Synergistic Vision: Exhibitions and Community Engagement

The relaunch of the Kanal-Centre Pompidou signifies a pivotal long-term partnership between the two institutions, aimed at consistently enriching Brussels' art scene with international works. The opening exhibitions on November 28, 2026, will present an impressive array of art, featuring masterpieces by 20th-century luminaries such as Henri Matisse, Sonia Delaunay, Alberto Giacometti, and Wifredo Lam, alongside contemporary artists deeply connected to Brussels and the global art world. Furthermore, the Kanal-Centre Pompidou complex will become the new permanent home for the CIVA collection, Brussels' significant archive dedicated to architecture, landscape design, and urban planning, further solidifying its role as a key cultural repository.

The reopening will inaugurate multiple simultaneous exhibitions, with notable highlights including "An Infinite Woman," an exploration of colonial imagery and its reinterpretation, and solo and commissioned works by artists like Joëlle Tuerlinckx, Manon de Boer (in collaboration with Latifa Laâbissi and Laszlo Umbreit), Joshua Serafin, Banu Cennetoğlu, and Otobong Nkanga. Group projects such as "Département des Pièges" curated by Clémentine Deliss and "NO SHOW" by Deborah Bowmann and Maoupa Mazzocchè, along with contributions from Guillaume Bijl, Kasper Bosmans, Laurent Dupont, Aline Bouvy, Pélagie Gbaguidi, Valérie Mannaerts, and Miao Miao, will also be featured. Additionally, the program includes "A Truly Immense Journey" with works by Lygia Clark, Sonia Delaunay, Natalia Goncharova, and Pablo Picasso, among others, and a community print room by WERKER Collective. A unique indoor playground, designed by the Turner Prize-winning British collective Assemble, will span 700 square meters within the renovated architecture, offering an immersive installation of hills, volcanoes, and distant planets, making the complex a destination for all ages.

The Nedarag Guesthouse project, an initiative by NextOffice in Kahnanikash, Iran, represents a significant achievement in community-driven architectural development. This non-profit endeavor, located in a Sunni-Baluch village, seamlessly blends traditional building methods with modern design principles to create a welcoming guesthouse. Its core purpose is to bolster local tourism, empower the community, and preserve indigenous construction knowledge and social frameworks. Comprising three residential units with five guest rooms and a compact service block, the entire complex is intelligently organized around a central shaded courtyard, which serves as both a functional and social hub.

The central courtyard is the heart of the Nedarag Guesthouse, acting as a pivotal space for both movement and social interaction. Beyond facilitating airflow and passive cooling, this versatile area accommodates a diverse range of daily and seasonal activities. These include informal gatherings, children's playtime, and traditional social rituals such as women's Chelim (hookah gatherings) and men's Dikki. This communal open space enables the guesthouse to function dually as visitor accommodation and as an integral part of village life, harmoniously blending with the local culture.

Strategically positioned on donated land adjacent to agricultural fields, the village council building, and the residence of a local host who previously welcomed travelers, the site selection and planning for the Nedarag Guesthouse were a collective effort. Village elders, residents, a social facilitator, and the design team collaboratively shaped these decisions. The layout is distinguished by a semi-open courtyard, shielded by an innovative multi-layered roof system that optimizes airflow and mitigates heat gain. This roofing design is a contemporary interpretation of the regional Kapar typology, traditionally crafted from palm elements, now realized with handmade timber trusses supporting an expansive, umbrella-like canopy.

The construction methodology of the guesthouse deeply respects local practices and materials, featuring dry-stacked stone walls, palm fibers, and earthen finishes. The thick stone walls provide substantial thermal mass, while a double-layered roof and wall system effectively reduces solar radiation and stabilizes interior temperatures. The vaulted canopy elegantly unifies the individual units into a cohesive architectural form, offering layered shade and protected outdoor spaces. Openings and roof assemblies are meticulously designed with double-skin strategies to enhance thermal performance while maintaining essential permeability. This approach exemplifies an adaptive detailing that respects and integrates with the regional vernacular.

The architectural expression of the Nedarag Guesthouse is a thoughtful fusion of local construction heritage and responsive detailing. The striking interplay between the solid mass of the stone walls and the airy lightness of the canopy, along with the dynamic dialogue between the curved roof forms and the hand-finished textures, illustrates a sophisticated, multi-layered design philosophy. This approach ensures that the new construction complements, rather than contrasts with, established local building traditions. A flexible process involving both on-site fabrication and manual assembly allowed for adjustments throughout the construction phase, responding to the properties of materials and specific climatic conditions. The building's systems primarily rely on passive environmental strategies, such as night ventilation, courtyard airflow, thermal mass, and shading, significantly reducing the need for mechanical cooling. Performance simulations confirmed that the curved roof form substantially lowers cooling energy demand compared to conventional cubic structures, and removing the canopy would drastically increase thermal loads. Furthermore, the elevated construction and 1.5-meter-high stone walls offer crucial protection against seasonal flash flooding, a resilience tested and proven during severe storms in 2023.

The Nedarag Guesthouse exemplifies a profound commitment to community involvement, demonstrating how architectural projects can serve as catalysts for social and economic development in rural areas. By embracing local traditions, promoting collaborative construction, and implementing sustainable design, the project offers a replicable model for fostering resilient and culturally sensitive tourism. It stands as a testament to the power of architecture in strengthening community bonds and enriching local heritage.