STM - Ura

About

URA is located in Brussels and is characterized by a broad spectrum of projects, varied both in scale and function. 'UR'-the name of the first city- supports a way of working. URA searches for universal, basic typologies and transforms them into a contemporary and precise identity in a specific context. The universal lies within the very specific. URA is led by two partners, Yves Malysse and Kiki Verbeeck.

YVES MALYSSE (°1973) yves.malysse@ura.be

graduated from the Sint-Lucas Institute of Architecture in Ghent. He has worked with MVRDV in Rotterdam and Jo Crepain in Antwerp, and with stage designer Bart Clement. He was a visiting professor at TU Delft and at the Academy for Architecture in Rotterdam. Since 2012 he has been a professor at LUCA School of Arts, Faculty of Architecture, in Brussels and Ghent..

KIKI VERBEECK (°1974) kiki.verbeeck@ura.be

Graduated from the Sint-Lucas Institute of Architecture in Ghent and specialized in Architectural Theory at KU Leuven. She has worked in Paris with uapS and Labfac, in Rotterdam with OMA, and in Brussels for Baines and Advisers. She was guest professor at LUCA School of Arts, Faculty of Architecture Ghent and at KU Leuven, Department of Architecture.

COLLABORATORS

Benny Geerinckx (°1975) benny.geerinckx@ura.be
Michiel van der Loos (°1986) michiel.vanderloos@ura.be
Carmen Vandermolen (°1992) carmen.vandermolen@ura.be
Tuomas Peippo (°1995) tuomas.peippo@ura.be
Louis Lories (°1995) louis.lories@ura.be
François Vande Perre (°1994) francois.vandeperre@ura.be
Paul Tschritter (°1996) paul.tschritter@ura.be
Warre Delaplace (°2000) warre.delaplace@ura.be
Sem De Boer (°1999 ) sem.deboer@ura.be
Tim De Munck (°1996 ) tim.demunck@ura.be
Maurits Bosman Bahamón (°1995 ) maurits.bosmanbahamon@ura.be
Eva Vossaert (°1996 ) eva.vossaert@ura.be

FORMER COLLABORATORS

Vincent Vergote / Eva Vermeulen / Soetkin Devolder / Bram Van Sever / Ruben Otter / Jonathan Vanhove / Lisa De Keuleneire / Egon Pollers / Milène Senden / Pauline Truyens / Heleen Eskens / Mathieu Jeukens / Sindri Sigurðsson / Jasper Aerts / Eva Lo / Ruth Van de steene / Ana Horvat / Tim Belaen / Maarten Lambrechts / Charlotte Biesbrouck / Felice Van Tieghem / Marius Vaneeckhoutte / Pauline Durand / Florence Mareen / Lisa Van Com / Jonathan Robert Maj / Isaura Doumen / Jeroen Kessels / Diane Engels / Anton Parys / Harold Vermeiren / Wim Dirickx / Alexander Smedts / Adeline de Vrij / Kaat Volckaert / Pieter Burssens / Tom Broes / Garin Boghossian / Jan de Moffarts / Elena Dragu / Dora Freier / Sila Giriftinoglu / Carlota Marchena Lopez / Frederic Karam / Laura Navarro / Pablo Olmeda Puertas / Angel Pérez Rojas / Olivier Roegiest / Sara Rondou / Giulia Scirocchi / Lorenzo Stroobant / Toon Vanobbergen / Gaspard Van Parys / Francis Vanden Baviere / Mira de Middeleer / Sofie Lieben / Sofie Liesenborghs / Andrea Neri / Alessandro Luraschi

Text

STM
Sportshall and concierge house in Molenbeek
Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (B), 2021–2024
2000 m²

A new sports hall has been built for the Molenbeek community at the spatial border where Brussels meets Flanders, integrating housing and parking on a former chaotic school parking lot. The project introduces a distinct architectural language that transcends context and function, forming a dynamic interplay between building typologies. The sports hall faces the boulevard, opening up a generous public entrance framed by a new green space, offering much-needed perspective and public realm in the dense neighbourhood. Two clearly defined entrances—one public and one for caretakers—are articulated as pavilions with folded roofs, contrasting with the formal simplicity of the main volume. An underground parking area serves schools by day and sports users by night, with dedicated slopes encouraging bicycle use. The main hall, a serene rectangular lightbox, is built from concrete and double-lined glass bricks that filter daylight while providing thermal efficiency. The structure’s abstract concrete trusses house technical systems and organize the space. Inside, the program includes dressing rooms and storage, animated with subtle colour accents. Above, a three-bedroom caretaker’s dwelling with a private terrace overlooks the nearby Scheutbos park. The result is a sustainable, multifunctional complex that offers both functionality and identity—a new urban landmark for Molenbeek.

In collaboration with Sweco, Util, Landinzicht, Gillion