top of page
Kiel_Original_23.jpg

The Kiel Housing Estate

​

Focus on building block A – Residentie Alfred Cools -, B – Residentie Alfons Huybrechs -, C – Residentie Frans Steger and D-E – Residentie Frans Schoofs -(S.M. Huisvesting – Antwerpen,1991:2)

​

architect/designer: Renaat Braem, Viktor Maeremans (Socialist), Hendrik Maes (Catholic) 

landscape/garden designer(s):

collaborators (enginners, consultants, etc.): Technisch Konstruktiebureau T.K.B

building contractor(s): S.M. Housing Antwerp (S.M. Huisvesting – Antwerpen), today Woonhaven 

location: Alois De Laetstraat 2-12, 25, Emiel Vloorstraat 11, 15, Evert Larockstraat 1,2-10, Frans Hensstraat 2, 42-44, Maurits Sabbelaan 54

town / country: 2020 Antwerp, Belgium

gps: 51.191863, 4.373610

 

Cronology

​

commission/competition date: 1949 

design period (s): 1949-58

construction: 1951-1955 (frst stage of building blocks type A,B,C, D/E), 1954-1958 (second stage for building blocks of Type D)

completion/inauguration: 1958

​

Status of Protection

​

protected by: architectural heritages , ID: 126553

grade: architectural heritage (completely)

date: since 27-11-2011

valid for (whole area/parts of area/building): Te Kiel Housing Estate

remarks: architectural heritage decree on the inventory of the architectural heritage and set list (Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed, 2017

RMB_CASE-STUDY-BOOK_UANTWERP-s.jpg

A ORIGINAL PROJECT

​

Description of the site/buildings


brief introduction


The Kiel Housing Estate can be seen as a Belgian form of the Unité d´Habitation of Le Corbusier. This might have to do that the main architect Renaat Braem followed an internship (1936-37) by Le Corbusier and that he therefore was inspired and influenced by him. Accordingly, the design of the Kiel housing estate composes Le Corbusier´s five points of architecture such as pilotis, concrete frame construction with open galleries. It should be briefly mentioned that Braem was not just influenced by the French rationalist, he also had social utopian ideas where he could identify himself with the Russian constructivists. “He believed that architecture could be a kind of “social condensator” that would lead people away from the pre-existing bourgeois living patterns to a socialist way of living in which communal life was the most important element of daily life“ (De Vos, 2016:6).

 

use/function


The building blocks A – DE are all apartments, except D/E they also hold retail in the first floor. Beside Braem wanted to have a social center as a meeting point for the inhabitants, Woonhaven realized instead of that 40 dwellings for pensioners.

​

urban morphology


The whole housing project is located in Kiel, on the South side of Antwerp. In the archive it is addressed on Zaanstraat. This street ends up to the Kiel estate housing blocks, following the Evert Larockstraat and leads on the right to the Alois De Laetstraat (fig. 02) where the building blocks D1,D2,D3 en D4 are situated and on the left side there are the Emiel Vloorstraat and the Frans Hensstraat (fig.03) where the building blocks A, B, C, DE where standing towards each other and built up an inner court.

​

urban integration


Originally the building blocks were supposed to be simply placed parallel next to each other. But Braems vision on building and living was to “set the human free”. Therefore his design included the following essential criteria light, air and space. With Kiel estate he succeed this by placing the buildings blocks on pilotis (made of concrete).

RMB_CASE-STUDY-BOOK_UANTWERP-03-s.jpg
RMB_CASE-STUDY-BOOK_UANTWERP-4-s.jpg
HS_OWL_RGB_Rot_.jpg
ITU.jpg
UA-logo.jpg
ist_logo.jpg
Logo_Coimbra.jpg
logo_docomomo.jpg
terri.png
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR INTERNAL CONTENT

The content of our website has been compiled with meticulous care and to the best of our knowledge. However, we cannot assume any liability for the up-to-dateness, completeness or accuracy of any of the pages.
Pursuant to section 7, para. 1 of the TMG (Telemediengesetz – Tele Media Act by German law), we as service providers are liable for our own content on these pages in accordance with general laws. However, pursuant to sections 8 to 10 of the TMG, we as service providers are not under obligation to monitor external information provided or stored on our website. Once we have become aware of a specific infringement of the law, we will immediately remove the content in question. Any liability concerning this matter can only be assumed from the point in time at which the infringement becomes known to us.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR EXTERNAL LINKS

Our website contains links to the websites of third parties (“external links”). As the content of these websites is not under our control, we cannot assume any liability for such external content. In all cases, the provider of information of the linked websites is liable for the content and accuracy of the information provided. At the point in time when the links were placed, no infringements of the law were recognisable to us. As soon as an infringement of the law becomes known to us, we will immediately remove the link in question.

CONTACT

TH-OWL University of Applied Sciences
Department 1
Emilienstraße 45
32756 Detmold

​

Michel Melenhorst
e-Mail: michel.melenhorst@th-owl.de

COPYRIGHT

The content and works published on this website are governed by the copyright laws of Germany. Any duplication, processing, distribution or any form of utilisation beyond the scope of copyright law shall require the prior written consent of the author or authors in question.

DATA PROTECTION

A visit to our website can result in the storage on our server of information about the access (date, time, page accessed). This does not represent any analysis of personal data (e.g., name, address or e-mail address). If personal data are collected, this only occurs – to the extent possible – with the prior consent of the user of the website. Any forwarding of the data to third parties without the express consent of the user shall not take place.

​

We would like to expressly point out that the transmission of data via the Internet (e.g., by e-mail) can offer security vulnerabilities. It is therefore impossible to safeguard the data completely against access by third parties. We cannot assume any liability for damages arising as a result of such security vulnerabilities.

​

The use by third parties of all published contact details for the purpose of advertising is expressly excluded. We reserve the right to take legal steps in the case of the unsolicited sending of advertising information; e.g., by means of spam mail.

bottom of page