Porta 1070 – a church in Anderlecht becomes a school

In the Scheut district of Anderlecht, a unique project was realized from an architectural and educational point of view. In a former church, the colleagues from OSK-AR Architecten housed Porta 1070, the first school of its kind in the country.

Photos: Luca Beel

A large room that can be divided up with movable partitions, cupboards and acoustically dampening furniture instead of separate, monofunctional classrooms. Alongside an innovative didactic concept, this is one of the distinguishing features of the “Tienerschool“ concept in Belgium. Pupils between the ages of ten and 14 can prepare for secondary school there for four years after elementary school

The school is officially called“Tienerschool Brussel“ and is partly housed in a former church in the Scheut district of Anderlecht: the “Sint-Vincentius a Paulo“ is a Roman Catholic church building made of brick in the Art Deco style and was built in 1937 on the site of a small chapel that was built 400 years earlier on the orders of Charles the Bold.

The existing structures have been renovated and, where necessary, OSK-AR Architects have refurbished the building. A new U-shaped building complements the church in Anderlecht. This encloses the existing building and creates space for a green area in the space between the buildings. Over the next few years, its planting will turn it into a green oasis in the lively and densely populated district. The nave now houses a multifunctional sports hall, a canteen and some of the classrooms. The semi-subterranean level of the church building houses a teaching kitchen as well as other open-plan classrooms.

Wherever possible, historical elements inside the church were preserved and retained. This can be seen, for example, in the stained glass windows that now let light into the sports hall. After thorough cleaning, they were given an additional layer of glass to make them ball-proof. In the basement, on the other hand, the old, weathered concrete columns and beams are still visible in the rooms.

The new Porta 1070 building houses further classrooms, an assembly hall, music and art rooms, the staff room and science laboratories. The concept of open learning landscapes, which are intended to motivate pupils in Anderlecht to learn independently, is also evident here.

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