Research Center in Genk by Kempe Thill

One of the main priorities of the Flemish government for economic revival is investment in renewable energy research. The former mining town of Genk, where the last mine was closed in the 1980s, continues to be a significant center offering tens of thousands of job opportunities in the industry. Through the Energy Ville technology park, it now also aims to establish itself in the scientific world. The urban design of the technology campus, surrounded by greenery, is the work of the Antwerp studio HUB. The campus is located in the setting of a former coal mine with distinctive backdrops of abandoned mining structures. On one of the plots, the University of Leuven, with financial assistance from the European Union, has built a "Research Center for Sustainable Energy," designed by the Rotterdam studio Kempe Thill. The three-story building occupies an impressive footprint measuring 72.5 x 50 meters. Its proportions resemble more of an industrial hall, where the development of components for electric and hybrid vehicles and new concepts for Europe's energy grid take place. All operations (offices, lecture halls, workshops) are located within a 19-meter-wide strip surrounding a central hall with generous spans, height, and top lighting. The client initially desired just this hall to conduct their experiments, but eventually, a restaurant, offices, and an additional trio of laboratories were added. The outer shell made of perforated aluminum panels is divided into a regular grid of six-meter-wide windows with bronze-colored frames, from which the researchers have a view of the surrounding post-industrial landscape.

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