Wood and art: the perfect match
The tallest wooden building in Belgium, or even in the Benelux, is in Liège. A local artist was allowed to brighten up the façade by the project developer. Successful across the board.
The Ardent City has a new attraction, in the Rue Méan in the Outremeuse district, the little island surrounded by the Meuse and its Drainage Canal. Opposite the tower dedicated to its literary icon par excellence, the unsurpassed writer Georges Simenon, TimberTeam from Villers-le-Bouillet began work on a multi-residential building of ten floors, entirely built in wood, in 2019. It was officially inaugurated on 21 January 2021.
Project developer Reno-Solutions opted for an innovative approach, far removed from the classical concrete. The fine wood was used as a building material for the skeleton, walls, terraces, staircase and elevator shaft. A great solution for significantly reducing your ecological footprint. This is because it is an environmentally friendly building material. It requires little energy, therefore emitting much less CO₂ compared to concrete and, in fact, absorbing more CO₂. It should also insulate 18 times better than concrete. If we want to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, we cannot do without wood.
Street artist and fellow townsman Fabrizio Berrini was commissioned to brighten up the plain metal cladding. He designed ten scenes, which have been digitalised and now adorn the balustrade of the innovative building.
A blessing for the environment, and easy on the eye.