MFA De Beeck Bergen

- Size
- approx. 8.400 m2 GFA
- Commission
- Design & build
- Duration
- september 2020 – april 2022
- Budget
- approx. 15.000.000
With a competition pool, instruction pool, sports hall, youth centre, billiard room, dance hall, restaurant, fitness, committee rooms and the council chamber of the municipality of Bergen, De Beeck truly is a multifunctional accommodation.
After the De Beeck sports centre burned to the ground in 2017, a new multifunctional accommodation had to be built on the same spot. All in all, quite a challenge, because the extensive program had to fit within the boundaries of the existing plot. Located on the edge of a residential area and close to schools and sports clubs, the building will function as a meeting point in the neighbourhood. A place were a very diverse group of users can come together. An open appearance was therefore one of the most important starting points in the design of the building.
The choice was made for a transparent plinth with a more closed volume above it with a playful character. Because of the transparency of the plinth, the volume almost seems to float. The entrance is emphasized with the volume above creating a large cantilever, enabling a lively entrance square.

The main functions have been laid out along the outer boundaries of the building in order to benefit as much as possible from the natural light. The ancillary functions, facilities and access to the building lie together in a central core.

Above the transparent plinth the solid volume will be executed in light coloured aluminium cassettes. These aluminium cassettes consist of three different colour tones, three different thicknesses and nine different sizes. This gives the facade a playful relief. The facade openings are detailed in a special way. Alongside the council chamber, a strikingly large facade opening has been chosen that allows a lot of daylight in. In the so called “eye” the glazing is set back in the aluminium cassettes making it a real eye-catcher.
In the dance and billiard room the facade opening has a so-called “mailbox” principle. An elongated low window at floor level is detailed in such way that the glazing is flush with the outer aluminium facade cassette. It allows natural light to enter without conflicting with the functionality of the rooms.

Façade principles
For the materialisation of interior, natural materials have been chosen in which wood predominates. The wooden structure and ceilings contrast nicely against the dark flooring in the sports hall and the central core of the building. The core of the building has a green wall with plants and a large skylight, which gives the building its own characteristic appearance.

Sustainability is more than just saving energy. That is why a lot of attention has been paid to nature-inclusivity. By implementing green roofs, bat boxes, a bee population and integrated bird hives in the aluminium cassettes, the building scores 20 points on nature inclusiveness. This allows the building to call itself truly nature inclusive!
Of course, energy saving is also considered. By taking into account the orientation of each function, smart use has been made of the available solar heat. For example, the swimming pools that you like to keep warm are naturally located on the south facade and the sports hall on the cooler north facade. In addition, the building has a balanced and All-Electric installation concept. The 1.150 PV cells ensure that part of the electricity needs will be sourced locally.