Vleugel 58 and Vleugel 19 (the exhibition wings) are joined seamlessly thanks to the design by the Italian architect Francesca Torzo. She designed the new Z33 exhibition building. With an introverted, richly variegated architecture, she has opted for a building that functions as a city within the city. It is a space that immerses you in a different rhythm, stripped of all other references.
A capstone for the beguinage site
This building fits in between the Jenever Museum and the historic beguinage like a piece of a puzzle. The sober but extraordinary exterior of rhombic bricks matches the brick architecture of both the existing exhibition building Vleugel 58 and the adjacent beguinage. It is impressive, but it does not dominate its surroundings. You will find a courtyard at the back that adjoins the beguinage but which also stands alone. A large terrace extends the perpendicular wing of the exhibition building, creating a transition.
An introverted building, a parallel world
The building functions as a small-scale city, organized around a central patio. The architecture refers to the city of Hasselt, but simultaneously distinguishes itself. As a visitor, you literally become immersed in a parallel universe. This is what makes it an introverted building, in which the blank wall on Bonnefantenstraat is a true statement.
An interplay of sightlines and proportions
The building documents your experiences. As you walk, you are guided around spaces of different sizes, breadths, heights, lengths, and with different views. The doorways and sightlines likewise focus your gaze on specific places. These rich variations enable you to sense the quality of the space.
A multitude of materials
Francesca Torzo designed the building meticulously, down to the last detail, with almost invisible technical mastery. A multitude of materials and techniques recur in the diamond ceiling, the plastered walls, the rhombic bricks, columns, doorways, and windows. But it is never excessive.
Vleugel 58
Vleugel 58 is Z33’s large exhibition wing, to the left of the gatehouse. The design by architect G. Daniëls was built in 1958 as an exhibition space for contemporary art and bathes in natural light.
