BAC Bank, Kerksken, Belgium

BAC Bank in Kerksken is a local bank branch and is one of the very first projects of Robbrecht and Daem architecten. The building stands on a plot that is grafted diagonally to the street and had to be bordered on one side by a blind facade. The complex geometry of this plot was therefore the basis of the design for the layered facade and the play of perspectives that it creates. With a bus stop on the doorstep, the facade projection gained additional functionality and provides shelter for waiting passengers. A concrete shell on the northeast side visibly encircles the building and helps to give it a secure appearance.
A bank is traditionally characterized by a duality in its program, being on the one hand a public place where everyone can consult the counters and bank machines, and on the other hand a house of absolute discretion and security. This contradiction between an open and closed character comes together not only in the facade, but also in the structure within. A curved wall strictly screens off one layer of the program from the other, while allowing natural light into the core.
Client
BAC
Architects
Robbrecht en Daem architecten
Program
Bank building
Location
Kerksken, Belgium
Date
1987–1989
Status
Completed
Floor Area
425 m2
Team
Paul Robbrecht, Hilde Daem, Marleen Dilissen
Structural Engineering
BAS (Dirk Jaspaert)