Utopia’s Planning and Design
Utopia, a library for academic and performing arts, is a modern-day visual spectacle to behold. Located in the bustling city of Aalst, Belgium, this 8309 square meter meets the needs of library attendees and aspiring performers. It does so by catering to both by housing a beautifully crafted, modernized structure incorporating 19th-century architectural design by KAAN Architecten, a group of professionals designed with functionality in mind while breathing life into the urban landscape’s nostalgic past.
KAAN Architecten‘s manifestation of architectural prowess was first conceived and co-opted through an open contest introduced by the city’s council back in 2015 and later reached full project fruition in 2018 by the arms of main contractor Groep Van Roey NV. Among Utopia’s most unique aspects is that it divines its fantastic moniker from a book by Thomas More, which Dirk Martens, a citizen of Aalst, had later printed. In the same place, the structure was to be built.
As its builders and architects intended, Utopia was meant to compliment the city’s uneven streets and the center’s close-knit nooks and crannies, resulting in a lovely and elegant structural conversation between spaces.
Materials And Construction
Upon first glance, one can see that Utopia, a Library and Academy for Performing Arts, is more than a pretty space. The library is characterized by high archways, moderately wide concrete stairways spanning three floors that climb to a lofty ceiling, and large, lightly tinted windows along the facade, inviting onlookers to step within its brick walls and intellectually sail within its sea of books. Among its well-placed myriad display of prominent lexical endeavours is a monumental, 11.5 meter-high bookcase whose length rivals the depths of its books which it encases, many of which were lovingly donated by city residents.
The library’s wide open, quiet space does not interfere acoustically with the performing arts center, which primarily gives students a chance to hone their dancing, filming, musical and theatrical capabilities and break past their limits under the watchful and professional guidance of their instructors. Double-glazed windows help lock in the sweet, sweeping sounds of theatre. In contrast, concrete floors have been put in place of the old wooden ones, ensuring KAAN Architecten’s design achieves an effortless symbiotic harmony and functionality.
Performing Arts Construction
Utopia’s performance art area has two floors at each end of the reading area. The interior consists of a room for teaching classes, ballet lessons, and performances, as well as multiple studios for rehearsals. Some of the rooms are accompanied by windows that match the place they’re in in size and scope.
Upper and Outer Utopia
The library’s ceiling looms minimally above a metallic mesh covering, adorned with long, narrow, white bar-shaped lights that hang beneath its actual height. Most of the technological necessities required to run the building are neatly tucked away so visitors feel as untethered and free as Utopia’s atrium and cantilevered concrete floors. The building’s entrance sits between 2 hotspots that widely contrast in purpose yet are seamlessly linked by long facades made by the architect’s mindfully handpicked dark Red Aalst Brick: The Auditorium and the Reading Café. The Glass Pavilion is another architectural marvel and attraction of honourable mention.
Sustainability
Beyond its looks and books, Utopia has a rich, albeit auxiliary, cultural history. A school that originated in the 1880s, known as Pupillenschool, is the cornerstone of Utopia. This was deliberate by Kaan Architecten, as it was done to act as an integral and epoch bridge between the old and new. Its primary purpose was to educate young children who were the offspring of soldiers and had yet to be required and summoned for the regiment at the pivotal age of 16. The exterior brickwork comprises conspicuous yet transitory interludes of grey, intermingling with the dominant elements of red and brown.
Environmentally Friendly
Utopia lives up to its name about being a communal and cultural space for academics and studious performers alike. Still, the process of its construction and design also catered to sustainable and healthy interaction within the local environment. During its construction, the workforce was recruited locally, in addition to locally derived materials, which would, in concert with the former, save money on transportation costs, economize on fuel emissions and allow greater sustainability.
On rainy days, the water is collected for alternate use, and solar panels harness the sun’s power whenever there are clear skies. Inside the building, students can stay warm during colder temperatures with geothermal heating and won’t be straining their eyes under LED lights. These practical and considerate solutions allow Utopia to sustain its energy use without negatively impacting the environment.
Kaan Architecten’s design of Utopia stands not only as a well-culminated design but also as a harmonious ode to brilliant architecture.
References:
Caballero, P. (2018) Utopia, a library and Academy for Performing Arts / Kaan Architecten, ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/897216/utopia-a-library-and-academy-for-performing-arts-kaan-architecten (Accessed: 23 December 2023).
Picard, M. (2023) 18 captivating facts about Utopia Library and academy for performing arts, Facts.net. Available at: https://facts.net/world/landmarks/18-captivating-facts-about-utopia-library-and-academy-for-performing-arts/ (Accessed: 23 December 2023).
Utopia – Library and Academy for Performing Arts – Kaan architecten (no date) World. Available at: https://www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/works/utopia-library-and-academy-for-performing-arts (Accessed: 23 December 2023).
Yatzer (2018) Utopia: Aalst’s new Library and Academy for Performing Arts, Yatzer. Available at: https://www.yatzer.com/utopia-kaan-architecten (Accessed: 23 December 2023).
