The police station in Molenbeek, Belgium was designed by Architect Emmanuel Bouffioux. It is surrounded by many homes, a school and an events space which includes a football stadium and an Olympic swimming pool. That’s why it was essential to take the appearance into account when building the police station, creating a building that is aesthetically pleasing for residents.

Designing a building for the local police that provides services of authority and security proved to be a real challenge in terms of functionality and symbolism. The design had to reflect a strong image to represent the police force, and at the same time it had to be visually appealing so that the residents of the neighborhood were happy with it.

Despite the difficulty of such small office space, on a functional level, the design proposed light and flowing spaces. To help achieve this, the architect chose Accoya wood; a sustainable and dimensionally stable material that has been used for the brise soleil. This creates a striking facade on the front of the police station, whilst maintaining privacy.

This project was completed in 2015. This year, 2020, new photographs have been taken to show the natural weathering process of Accoya. Now a beautiful Silver patina can be seen.

Supplier: Mapex Houtimport