The Brussels-based design and architecture studio V+ has recycled bricks from demolished local buildings to construct The Folklore Museum in Mouscron, Belgium. The Folklore Museum, which was nominated for this year’s Mies van der Rohe Award, houses a collection of objects and documents that chronicle the local crafts and traditions of Mouscron from 1850 to 1940. The museum is a white brick structure that stretches along a small road behind the original museum building, which is a 19th-century townhouse on the main road. This makes the most of the relatively narrow plot, and a variation in heights along its length accommodates different functions. As per the description given on V+ studio’s website, the architects turned a simple extension of the current museum into a new building, a thin volume going deeper into the city block in the extension of a series of industrial sheds. As stated by the V+ studio, it not only wanted to meet the requirements of the museum in its new structure, but also wanted to transform the entire area where the museum is located into a public space, which will become part of the Mouscronnois imagination and will be an unmissable step in the tourist route of the city. As stated by the studio, “More than a museum, our project is an invitation to walk the streets of Mouscron to discover the vast interiors of the island, still occupied by factories and warehouses, carrying a rich heritage reflecting the industrial activity of the city.” The studio further adds that the project was also accompanied by the proposal to integrate the work of an artist. As a result, work by French artist Simon Boudvin is integrated into the structure. He sourced bricks from the demolition sites of traditional buildings around Mouscron, many of which once housed the objects and makers related to the crafts and traditions celebrated in the museum’s exhibitions. “Simon Boudvin brought not only a narrative but also political depth to the project...The bricks inserted in the facade contribute to the story of preservation, of tradition, and threatened minor architecture,” stated the studio, talking about the artist’s contribution to the project. Although these recycled bricks are also painted with white lime to blend in with the building from a distance, they are clearly distinguishable closer up due to the difference in texture. This creates a deliberately imperfect aesthetic. The new building provides an additional 1,471 square meters of floor space and houses the museum’s offices, exhibition spaces for the permanent collection and for temporary shows, and an entrance hall. https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin
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