The Citroen garage, build by Société Belge des Automobiles Citroën, is a masterpiece of modern architecture. Constructed in glass, steel and concrete by the architects A. Dumont and M. Van Goethem in the early 1930s. It is an immense 16 500 m2 complex, containing a car factory and showroom. A great example of functionalist logic and industrial architecture of the Interbellum. The use of glass, light, and height created a stage-like setting that blurred the boundaries between inside and outside, between machine and architecture. It was a celebration of industrial elegance and technological optimism. It embodied Citroën’s progressive vision of modernity, innovation, and accessibility.

​

The feasibility study researched a broad exploration of various “program families,” linked to spatial concepts that illustrated the potentials on both the building and its interaction with the city. It defined heritage qualities of the building to establish conditions for transforming the building in the near future, independent of the program.

During the study, several dialogue sessions were held with the client to uncover opportunities and constraints, as well as to evaluate pros and cons. Valuable insights were generated, which finally resulted in a high quality feasibility study delivering design strategies, programmatic conditions and potential scenarios. Among these, the ‘Art Total’ scenario emerged as the most promising, a museumcomplex combined with additional public functions.
 

The study outlined guidelines for a strategic heritage approach, with particular attention to acoustics—given the building’s distinctive steel and glass façades, key sightlines, architectural additions, and the opportunities for integration into the urban fabric.

​

The outcomes of the feasibility study were successfully integrated into the architectural competition afterwards.

​​