Kanal #2: Making is part two of a three-part journal by Atelier Kanal, a consortium formed by architecture firms EM2N (Zurich), noAarchitecten (Brussels), and Sergison Bates Architects (London and Zurich). It is dedicated entirely to the actual building for the Kanal arts and culture center in Brussels-and the challenges that the architects, engineers, construction firms, and their client were facing during the construction process. The project is exemplary due to its scope and scale: repurposing, restoration, and partial demolition and rebuilding of the entire former Citroën garage with a floor space of 49,000 m2, including an iconic 21-m-high showroom.
The Kanal project is significant within contemporary architecture discourse because it touches on closely intertwined key topics: the task of transforming a notable existing building, the demand to minimize demolition and waste while the entire vast structure is repurposed completely, the revaluation of comfort standards in relation to public spaces and uses, and the newly constructed interventions required by the intended new purpose.
Kanal #2: Making explores these questions through texts and a wealth of visual material that played a core role in Atelier Kanal's collaborative process. The book explains strategic considerations and investigates the challenges and risks inherent to such an undertaking, as well as the inspiring insights that working with an existing structure of this scale entails.