Design Express
IN PROGRESS
A Sculptural Transformation in the City Center
At the intersection of commerce, gastronomy, and innovation, Project DE reimagines a challenging existing structure in the heart of Mechelen. Originally built in the 1960s, the building — a raw concrete skeleton partially altered by previous renovations — provided both complexity and opportunity. Positioned between the vibrant shopping street at the front and the Dijle River at the rear, this layered transformation weaves together a boutique, a duplex restaurant, and office spaces for Design Express, creating a seamless architectural narrative.
Navigating Complexity
The existing structure, with its pot-and-beam floor system, presented both technical challenges and spatial potential. This fragmented, non-monolithic framework — already partially altered by previous interventions — became the foundation for a new spatial narrative. The design works with — rather than against — these inherited imperfections, introducing sculptural interventions that soften the rigidity of the existing grid. The result is a spatial sequence that is both rational and fluid, connecting front and back, inside and outside.
A program in Three Layers
A Boutique Facing the City – A retail space where fashion and architecture merge. Flowing lines and curated lighting create an immersive shopping experience that dialogues with the urban rhythm of the shopping street.
A Fine Dining Experience by the Water – At the rear, a duplex restaurant opens toward the Dijle, inviting guests into a sensory interplay of space, cuisine, and atmosphere. Sculptural forms and soft illumination dissolve the boundary between inside and out, while framing views toward the river.
Elevated Workspaces Above – The upper floors house the offices of Design Express, a leading software company. Circulation is carefully choreographed, ensuring a clear separation between professional and visitor flows, balancing privacy with openness.
A Passage between two worlds
More than a renovation, Project DE transforms a difficult, fragmented structure into a spatial continuum — bridging the urban density of the shopping street with the calm openness of the river. A sculpted passage flows like the water it leads to, guiding movement through a carefully orchestrated architectural sequence.
From vision to reality
The initial design for Project DE embraced an expressive, sculptural language—an organic architecture inspired by movement, fluidity, and spatial layering. The design, with its almost Gaudí-like plasticity, was fully supported by the client, who envisioned a landmark along the Dijle.
However, through the negotiation process with the city of Mechelen, the design was redefined within a more restrained architectural framework. The final result retains traces of the original ambition, yet translates it into a refined dialogue between structure, light, and proportion.
The sketch and the model offers a glimpse into the early conceptual studies, capturing the bold spatial and sculptural ambitions that laid the foundation for what Project DE ultimately became.
