Rue du Metal is a minimalist house located in Brussels, Belgium, designed by Morales Finch. Located within a typical example of a Belgian ‘enfilade’ house, the project involved the refurbishment of an existing townhouse, located in the central Brussels district of St-Gilles. An existing five story family home was converted into a two apartments and refurbished throughout. Whilst typical of its type, age and location, less common was the fact that almost all original features remained in their originally intended state.

Also present were a number of more recent additions that had altered the building’s original plan form, and hidden a variety of decorative elements. An extension to the rear of the building was of poor quality and did little to acknowledge the spatial and decorative qualities of the original house. The project therefore focussed on the removal, wherever possible, of non-original additions, replacing them with more considered alternatives that, whilst intentionally distinct and contemporary, helped to restore the buildings original volume’s and character.

Photography by Oskar Proctor

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