Guesthouse Little Willy

Little Willy is the name of an innovative project in the trendy “Quartier Dansaert” in the centre of Brussels, housing a B&B, a shop/gallery, a restaurant and a private residence. On a tiny plot, LOW architecten proposes the concept of a structure that ‘overgrows’ the old 19th century house. LOW transforms a single house into a guesthouse and duplex penthouse. The existing neoclassical building is historically valuable and will be thoroughly renovated. In order to create extra room for guests, for a restaurant, shop, gallery and duplex apartment, an extension on the adjacent plot appears inevitable. The various residential units are separated by extremely generous outdoor spaces such as green roofs or rooftop terraces. The new volume blends in perfectly with its surroundings, yet it evokes an interesting dialogue between old and new. The angle represents the transition between the different building heights of both streets. The new volume is built up and cut gradually in order to create a 'light' body from a volumetric point of view. This generates space for large private terraces, for views to the inner area and to the public domain.