Reviving Modernist Housing: Arena District of Renaat Braem

Abstract

The modernist housing project ‘Arenawijk’, in Deurne, Antwerp (BE), is currently threatened with (partial) demolition in order to make place for a new, more contemporary housing development. The initial plans were designed by Renaat Braem (1910–2001), one of the most prominent Belgian modernist architects and urban planners. The Arena district can be considered as an interesting cohesion between the internationally acknowledged CIAM principles and the, sometimes contradictorily, personal theories formulated by Braem himself. Hence, the site is a very significant part of Belgian modernist heritage. Nevertheless, the project is not protected. The demolition plans were initiated due to various reasons. This contribution addresses the historical richness and uniqueness of the Arena district as starting point for research-by-design. It is assumed that precise architectural interventions, based on a process of research-by-design, may herald new possibilities for reuse. The first part of the paper is based on the emergence of the site and illustrates Braem, as polemic figure, in a broader context. A second part will point out the value assessment of the unique characteristics of the site, based on the first historical situation and the new layers added by Braem. In conclusion, some further research suggestions will be made.