The project by Van Belle & Medina transforms the site of a natural landscape into an urban intervention that evolves from a simple structure to an almost sculptural space that invites the viewer to walk through and interpret it, provoking a unique experience and perception caused mainly by the exciting changing play of light and shadow that emerges from the project.
Composed of four arches made from in-situ concrete and with the exterior facades corresponding to the animal care areas and the wood and glass cafeteria, La Biomista becomes a structure that harmonizes the powerful natural space that surrounds it while creating a moving dialogue that aspires to be a testament of its time.
"La Biomista" Cosmopolitan Culture Park by Van Belle & Medina. Photograph by Filip Dujardin.
Project description by Van Belle & Medina
What was once Zwartberg Zoo is now The Biomist, an artistic, architectural and conceptual landmark, unique in its kind and one that will put Genk on the world map. The Biomist is not only a biocultural temple of living art; it is also an incubator of ideas and a fertile space for innovation in every sense.
‘The Biomista, which means ‘mixed life’, also functions as a laboratory and library dedicated to biocultural diversity. The complex covers 24 hectares, with an initial development of 12 hectares spread over three distinct areas: the former director's villa, the studio of artist Koen Vanmechelen, and the Cosmopolitan Culture Park, where the LabOvo plaza is located.
LabOvo
The design of the park is inspired by the landscape and the cultural and historical importance of the site, while preserving the existing traces. The morphology of the site is determined both by the natural features and by interventions over time. The integration of the pavilion enhances the natural and cultural landscape, offering visitors a new way of interpreting and connecting with it, which fosters memory and understanding of the entire complex.
The LabOVO Square pavilion is designed as a ‘proper structure’ that highlights the landscape, cultural and spatial significance of its surroundings. Situated at a strategic point in the park, where visitors begin and end their tour of artist Koen Vanmechelen's installations, the pavilion blends into its surroundings, becoming a distinctive image and silhouette within the park.
A sense of cohesion is sought so that the pavilion, at once contemporary and timeless, blends naturally into the landscape. The aim is to create a structure that harmonises with the powerful natural environment that surrounds it. While serving as a meeting place, with veterinary facilities, a café and workshop space, the building aspires to be more than a functional element; it seeks autonomy as a reflection and testament to its time, almost embodying the spirit of the artist. The architecture merges with the landscape, while the landscape takes on an architectural quality.
The building is composed of four identical arches - two open and two closed - which together form a unified structure supporting a cantilevered roof that serves as a viewing terrace for visitors.
This chain of arches reflects both the natural features of the landscape and the functional needs of the programme, divided into two main components and a common open central space.
The open central void and the wide cantilevered roof enhance the horizontal dimensions of the structure, creating a seamless connection to the park.
The pavilion is constructed of light grey in-situ concrete, and the exterior facades of the animal care areas and cafe are made of wood and glass.
The central opening in the roof, which allows natural light to enter, is a nod to Gothic architecture and a connection to the celestial and the unattainable. This entrance of light, which casts a changing play of light and shadow throughout the day, evokes powerful emotions in visitors, who move fluidly through the building, participating in this play.
Like a work of art, this building presents multiple layers of meaning that change according to the viewer's perspective. These layers create a unique spatial experience and perception.
This project transforms the site of a natural landscape into an urban intervention, evolving from a simple structure within a landscape framework, to an almost sculptural space that invites the viewer to have an open interpretation of it.
