For the Rode Straat in the Health & Sciences campus Gasthuisberg in Leuven, NU designed large steel canopies that provide both shelter and coverage, transforming the street into a space that is more than just a passageway or entrance. These monumental structures are part of a catalog of connecting elements that balance between architecture and furniture, inspired by the idea of approaching the hospital site as a public space—a compact urban ensemble.
The steel canopies are rhythmically arranged, addressing the technical challenges of building above the intensive care unit, where foundation options are limited. Here, form and function are closely intertwined: the shape directly results from the need to efficiently drain rainwater.
Complementing the canopies, outdoor benches —also designed by NU as another part of the catalog— invite visitors to pause, wait, or simply sit and relax beneath the protective structures.
In collaboration with Mouton (structural engineering), Erik D’hont (landscape design) and Verhofsté.
