Soft Power

Looking back on ten years and two mandates of Kristiaan Borret as Bouwmeester Maître Architecte (BMA) in Brussels cannot be limited to describing the bricks that have been laid. Working on and living in the city also underwent a remarkable transformation in the past decade. This publication explores the everyday realities and ways in which people live in these projects. The record of conversations between local and international designers, users, clients, and BMA staff during collective site visits deepens the confrontations between design and appropriation, vision and materialization. Moreover, through 20 guest contributors of local and international practitioners, it explores the present and future role of the BMA and its 'soft power' in creating conditions for urban quality.


SOFT POWER
A city ? according to urban sociologist Richard Sennett, who once taught Kristiaan Borret ? consists of two parts: ville, the built city, and cité, the lived city. Looking back over ten years and two mandates as Bouwmeester maître architecte (BMA) in Brussels cannot be limited therefore to describing the building blocks that have been laid. Both working on the city and living in the city have also undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade.
This book first and foremost tells the rich stories associated with spatial transformations. Drawing on exchanges with the Bouwmeester and his team, this publication sheds light on the formal processes and tools as well as on the creative bureaucracy ? overall, BMA's soft power ? to transform the city together into a new kind of ecosystem of 'city makers'.
Moreover, this book takes a position. In a series of eight statements, Kristiaan Borret articulates fundamental visions expressed in a selection of projects. This work then explores the everyday realities and ways in which people come to experience these projects. The record of conversations between designers, users, clients and BMA staff during collective site visits deepens the confrontations between design and appropriation, vision and materialization. Architects and activists, developers and neighbours, administrators and contractors, but also butchers, schoolchildren and many others share their personal experience of new projects in the city.
In addition, the narrative fits into a broader urbanism.
Despite the numerous achievements of the past decade, the book is down to earth: the projects BMA could weigh in on represent only a fraction of the developments in Europe's capital. The photo-essays therefore not only show life at the project level, but also examine its embedding in neighbourhoods and communities. Rather than attempt to present an imposed harmony, the book embraces the spatial multiformity inherent to Brussels, Europe's most diverse city.
Lastly, this volume looks not only back, but also forward. In their guest contributions, professionals from Brussels and beyond ? from a fellow city architect to a community worker, as well as established and emerging designers ? offer critical reflections, and outline ambitious projections for the role of BMA in the creation of conditions for a quality and equitable development of both ville and cité.
Hedwig van der Linden
Jan Denoo

Editors
Jan Denoo - Hedwig van der Linden - Redactieraad - Gilles Debrun - Lisa De Visscher - Auteurs - Kristiaan Borret - Jan Denoo - Hedwig van der Linden - Met gastbijdragen van - Stephen Bates - Meriem Chabani - Thierry Decuypere - Khalid El Addaoui - Angelika Fitz - Kersten Geers - Michaël Ghyoot - Diana Katzarova - Giulia Larizza - Radim Louda - Séverin Malaud - Dorte Mandrup - Thierry Moest - Sébastien Morineau - Melat Gebeyaw Nigussie - Véronique Patteeuw - Dorien Robben - Guillaume Sokal - Stéphan Sonneville - Vincent Thierry - Bie Vancraeynest - Camilla van Deurs - Valérie Vermandel - Paola Viganó