092 Tour&Taxis Brussels - Building S1

S1 is a compact, seven-storey residential care building, the first in a row of five ‘solitaires’ that connect the Tour&Taxis quarter with the urban fabric aligning the Rue Picardstraat. By setting the building back from the street, an inviting urban square is created. The residential care centre’s grand café is situated on the ground floor. It adjoins this square and is accessible to everyone. 

The facades are clad in light beige brick. We reinterpreted the bow window as a construction element that offers a wider view of the public domain from the interior and a structuring feature of the design of the facades, giving them an expressive relief and a strong vertical articulation. All of the metal parts of the façade, such as the awnings, window frames, garage doors and  balustrades are made of light bronze-coloured anodised aluminium.

Below the ground level is a basement with private parking, bicycle storage and technical and utility rooms. The boiler room is also located here. On the roof are the ventilation unit and horizontal solar panels.