The early 1990s were a golden period for Charles Vandenhove, who was receiving a growing number of commissions from abroad, particularly in the Netherlands. After Amsterdam, The Hague and Maastricht, it was in Breda, not far from the Belgian border, that the Li\u00e8ge-born architect set up his drawing board. When he arrived in Breda, the architect was welcomed with open arms. A previous proposal had sparked an outcry\u2026 Vandenhove was received as the \u2018urban planning problem-solver\u2019, in the words of Prudent De Wispelaere. Although the project would face some difficulties due to several changes in the client, the planning progressed rapidly on the basis of a site plan drawn by Vandenhove on\u2026 a beer carton. The programme, which was fairly straightforward, combined 58 luxury flats and offices around a large courtyard above an underground car park. Once again, Vandenhove had a prime plot of land at his disposal, situated opposite the beautiful Valkenberg Park and a stone\u2019s throw from the River Mark. On this generous plot, he played with volumes and building heights. Facing the park on J.F. Kennedy Avenue and benefiting from a significant setback, he opted for fairly tall buildings. True urban landmarks, the two towers \u2013 one with an almost circular plan, the other rectangular \u2013 flank a five-storey building. With its red-brick cladding and its dome pierced by oculus windows, the corner tower might bring to mind that of the Balloir, designed around the same time. But for Vandenhove, the references lie elsewhere and are far more local. On his arrival in Breda, the architect from Li\u00e8ge was impressed by the nearby domed prison. From this prison building, he adopted the principle of the zinc roofing as well as the shape of the arched lintels. On Sophiastraat, the complex continues with a four-storey building that blends seamlessly with the historic buildings. Whilst favouring brick and zinc in a highly understated style, Vandenhove nevertheless allows himself a few discreet formal touches, notably in the treatment of the plinth, whose concrete elements are marked by a succession of strigils \u2013 a motif of Etruscan and Roman origin that the architect is particularly fond of. The spacious inner courtyard has been given special attention, as evidenced by the paving with its herringbone patterns and the imposing bronze sundial created by Jos\u00e9 Bosard, a fellow student of Vandenhove\u2019s and a renowned sundial maker in Wallonia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2099,"template":"","collection_type":[31],"class_list":["post-8681","collection","type-collection","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","collection_type-archives-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n