Bruis, the new cultural center of Bladel, is in the running for an international prize. The design of a community building where you can go to the theater for an evening, borrow library books and fanatical billiards players play an exciting game, is so striking that it has attracted the attention of the architectural world.
Effervescent was officially opened last April after a renovation that lasted no less than four years. The old Rabobank building on the village square was thoroughly renovated. A significant part of the building was demolished and then rebuilt. Materials from the demolished parts, such as window frames, pipework, brickwork and installations, have been reused.
The large hall, the so-called auditorium, was spared. A new roof with lots of glass was installed, creating a modern, transparent space. Above the entrance on the market side are balconies that literally break through the existing facade. The windows are also made of glass and extend from floor to ceiling.
‘The Siena of the Kempen’
Even on a drizzly November day, the building is one eye-catcher. Together with various café-restaurants and terraces, it forms a cosmopolitan whole, something you would not expect in a village with 21,000 inhabitants. It is not without reason that the makers call the square ‘the Siena of the Kempen’.
Councilor Arnoud van Hulst is delighted with the nomination. “On paper it looked promising,” he says. “And now that we have been open for six months, many people and associations know where to find our community center. This is confirmation of the pride we feel for this beautiful building.”
Dancing, chess and painting
According to the councilor, the priority when drawing up the design plans was that it should be an open, transparent building. “Bringing people from outside in, meeting and connecting, that was the motto. And we succeeded. Seniors meet here every week, there is dancing, chess and painting. Everything comes together.”
The Bladelse building design was devised by architectural firm GROUP A from Rotterdam. Bruis, together with impressive buildings from Ecuador, Canada, Germany and Australia, is competing for the Archello Award in the category ‘Community Center of the Year’. You can vote for the five finalists of the international architectural competition until December 1.
