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New International Selection

Full Documentation Fiche 2003

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composed by national/regional working party of:

0. Picture of building

depicted item: Santorium Joseph Lemaire - entrance wing source: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut, s.d. date: /

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1. Identity of building/ group of buildings/ group of buildings/ landscape/ garden

1.1 Data for identification current name: Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire former/original/variant name: number(s) and name(s) of street(s): Waversebaan town: Overijse - Tombeek province/state: Vlaams-Brabant post code: 3090 block: country: Belgium national topographical grid reference: current typology: Health centres - sanatorium former/original/variant typology: comments on typology:

lot:

1.2 Status of protection protected by: state Bestuur voor Monumenten en Landschappen - Vlaamse Gemeenschap grade: Monument (national level) date: 13-12-1993 valid for: whole area/parts of area/building remarks: Building has been classified as monument, including entrance gate and doctors house. Classified as well as protected site (Sanatorium, park with lanes, square of honour and wood).

1.3 Visually or functionally related building(s)/site(s) name(s) of surrounding area/building(s): The whole complex consists of the sanatorium itself and several separate service-buildings: concierge-house, house of a doctor, a mortuarium, residence of the staff, laundry and technical buildings. visual relations: All of them are in the same architectural style functional relations: other relations:

2. History of building(s) etc.

2.1 Chronology Note if the dates are exactly known (e) or approximately estimated = circa (c) or () commission or competition date: design period(s): 01/03/1936 (e)

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start of site work: 10/08/1936 completion/inauguration: 21/09/1937 (completion) 30/09/1937 (inauguration)

2.2 Summary of development commission brief: The general director of the insurance company La Prvoyance Sociale decided to buy a plot of 33 ha 49 a 40 ca (15/07/1934). The commission was a sanatorium for 150 male patients. design brief:

building/construction: completed situation: original situation or character of site: 2.3 Relevant persons/organisations original owner(s)/patron(s): Prvoyance Sociale architect(s): Fernand Brunfaut and Maxime Brunfaut landscape/garden designer(s): other designer(s): consulting engineer(s): building contractor(s): N.V. Bmat, Lige, Belgium 2.4 Other persons or events associated with the building(s)/site name(s): Herpain, Beeldhouwerslaan 43, Brussels association: Current owner event(s):

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period: 2.5 Summary of important changes after completion type of change: alteration: During and after the second world war some transformations have been made to increase the capacity of beds. date(s): 1942 (e) 1947 (e) circumstances/ reasons for change: Second world war effects of changes: persons/organisations involved: Fernand Brunfaut, architect type of change: renovation of glazed tiles of the facade date(s): 1848-1852 circumstances/ reasons for change: Damage effects of changes: Damaged tiles have been replaced by new ones persons/organisations involved: type of change: extension: a residence for nurses has been built next to the sanatorium date(s): 1972 circumstances/ reasons for change effects of changes: persons/organisations involved:

3. Description of building(s) etc.

3.1 Site/building character Summarize main character and give notes on surviving site/building(s)/part(s) of area. If a site: principle features and zones of influence; main elements in spatial composition. If a building: main features, construction and materials. The building is located on a 85 m high table-land, about 20 km from Brussels in an untouched natural environment. The geographical conditions were optimal to conceive a tuberculosis centre. The whole complex consists of the sanatorium itself and several separate service-buildings (concierge-house, house of a doctor, a mortuarium, residence of the staff, laundry and technical buildings). All of them are in the same architectural style. The sanatorium is composed of two main volumes, perpendicular on each other. One wing (115m, 4 levels high, south-east oriented) was the patients wing whole the other (80m, 2 levels, northwest oriented) served for the medical department and the administration, including the main entrance. The sanatorium is conceived as a whole (not in pavilions) so that the circulation spaces could be minimized. The two staircase to the meeting room for patients and visitors are separated in such a way that the guests couldnt enter into the patients wing. The patients wings has open galleries on the ground floor and three floors of patients rooms (3 per./room with some individual rooms) with large terraces. Besides the central staircase, there are two staircases at the extreme ends of the patients wing to connect the different floors. The patients wing also has a large roof terrace with a roof pavilion.

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A concrete skeletonstructure based on grid of 5,60m on 4,30m has been chosen for the sanatorium. The structure is filled in with brickwork and horizontal glazed parts. The facades are covered with cream coloured glazed tiles (18/39cm), glued with cement mortar on a reinforced steel net.

3.2 Current use of whole building/site: Out of use. The Commission of Social Security decided to stop the sanatorium activities on 14/12/1986. The building is empty since the end of 1987.

of principal components (if applicable): comments:

3.3 Present (physical) condition of whole building/site: The building is in very bad condition due to lack of maintenance. Further it also has been seriously harmed due to vandalism. of principal components (if applicable): of other elements (if applicable): of surrounding area (if applicable): comments: 3.4 Note(s) on context, indicating potential developments Indicate, if known, potential developments relevant for the conservation/threats of the buldings/site

4. Evaluation
Give the scientific reasons for selection for DOCOMOMO documentation

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Intrinsic value 4.1 technical evaluation: Because of the open structure of the ground floor of the building, the location of the conduit-pipes was rather difficult. An aesthetical solution could be found out by location them just under the first floor. A height of 1,80m was necessary to put them all together (there are rounded windows on this level which gives a particulary nice outlook of this mezzanine floor). The awareness of the thermical, hygienic, acoustical problems can be precieved in the way those problems have been solved and in the use of materials. This sanatorium is the first building in Belgium where the facades were covered in such a large scale with durable tiles. 4.2. social evaluation: There is a strong relationship between the physical and mental, spiritual aspects of the program and the design of the sanatorium. The architecture (volumes, open structure) and the general social aim of this project can be compared with a grand htel. There was a refectory, a saloon, a library, a cinema, polyvalent room, a magnificent garden and woods, etc. so that the social contacts between patients could be stimulated. This building might be considered as a symbol of the social security in Belgium before the second world war.

4.3. cultural and aesthetic evaluation: The volume and design of the building, the openness, the execution of some details (ex. Some parapets of the stairs in glazed tubes) and the original (French) garden are jointly responsible for the high aesthetic value. The location on a hill of such as huge building in packet boat style makes this project in a certain way very surprising.

Comparative significance 4.4 canonical status (local, national, international) The sanatorium Lemaire is very much comparable to similar buildings all over Europe (a sanatorium being almost the paradigm of modern architecture in the interbellum-period: see Duiker, Aalto,). Belonging on the one hand to the international group of MO.MO.-sanatoria in Europe, it also stands for a large series of similar buildings (a.o. sanatoriua and preventoria) in Belgium, more particular on the Belgian coast and in the Ardennes. 4.5 historic and reference values:

5. Documentation
5.1 archives/written records/correspondence etc. (state location/ address):

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LEUVEN. Monumenten en Landschappen, afdeling Vlaams-Brabant. Dossier Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire, Overijse (Tombeek). BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut. 5.2 principal publications (in chronological order): NOVOGORDSKY, L. Le sanatorium Joseph Lemaire Tombeek (Brabant), in: Technique des Travaux, 1938 (jan.), p. 3-18. DELVAUX, E. Le Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire Tombeek en Brabant, in : Le Document, (1938), nr. 10, p. 179-185. PAESMANS, G. Het Sanatorium te Overijse (Tombeek), in : Monumenten en Landschappen, VI (1987), nr. 6 (Nov.-Dec), p. 28-31. BEERNAERT, B. Het sanatorium Jospeh Lemaire te Tombeel van de architect Maxime Brunfaut (1934-1937), unpublished thesis, KULeuven, 1993. COHEN, a.o. Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire Portherhouse, Tombeek. Project work R. Lemaire Centre for Conservation KULeuven, 1999.

5.3 visual material (state location/ address) original visual records/drawings/photographs/others: recent photographs and survey drawings: film/video/other sources: 5.4 list documents included in supplementary dossier 6. Fiche report name of reporter: R. Lemaire Centre for Conservation KULeuven Prof. L. Verpoest S. Duquesne Update: Inge Bertels

address: Kasteelpark Arenberg 1, B-3001 Heverlee telephone: fax: date of report: 15/12/1995, update: 25/6/2003 e-mail: Luc.Verpoest@asro.kuleuven.ac.be

examination by DOCOMOMO national/regional section approval by wp co-ordinator/registers correspondent (name): sign and date:

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 examination by DOCOMOMO ISC/R name of ISC member in charge of the evaluation: comment(s):

sign and date: ISC/R approval: wp/ref. no.: NAI ref. no.: date:

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STUDIEGROEP OMGEVING Location of the municipality Tombeek (Overijse). Aerial photo site
COHEN, a.o. Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire Portherhouse, Tombeek. Project work R. Lemaire Centre for Conservation KULeuven, 1999. Aerial photo Presentation

Sanatorium

House of the doctor

Porterhouse

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Site COHEN, a.o. Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire Portherhouse, Tombeek. Project work R. Lemaire Centre for Conservation KULeuven, 1999. Presentation.

Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut.

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Left: Maxime Brunfaut (1909), right: Fernand Brunfaut (1886-1972)

COHEN, a.o. Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire Portherhouse, Tombeek. 1999. Presentation. Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut.

Plan ground floor

Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut.

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Plan 1st-2nd and 3rd floor

Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut.

Plan cellar
Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut.

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Sanatorium Lemaire Aerial view

Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut, s.d.

Sanatorium Lemaire South-east view Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut, s.d.

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Sanatorium Lemaire South-west view Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut, s.d.

Sanatorium Lemaire Biljart room Original: BRUSSELS. Archives dArchitecture Moderne. Dossier Maxime Brunfaut, s.d.

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