Bar Lisbet, Koekelberg

Back open: ‘bar Lisbet’ (formerly ‘Bar Eliza’) in Koekelberg’s Elizabeth park! You may remember the refreshment stand nestled under the century-old plane trees. Since 2019, the venue is closed due to works. The project, jointly commissioned by Brussels Environment and the municipality of Koekelberg, was conceived by the architects of V+. The single-story brick building, dating from 1958 and originally a ‘pavilion for the use of retired citizens’, has been topped with a particularly delightful upper storey, proudly showcasing generous roof eaves.

Beyond preserving the brickwork, the team made several interesting choices regarding materials, incorporating elements sourced from reuse or dead stocks. At Rotor DC, we had the honour to provide 55 m² of reclaimed yellow ceramic tiles sourced from the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels, 140 m² of brown ceramic floor tiles from a surplus, and 10 ‘Clea’ hanging lights produced in our lighting workshop. The project also includes 2nd-hand doors and sanitary equipment provided by Batiterre, as well as bricks of exactly the right size that the general contractor Balcaen was able to salvage from another site! And guess what? The façade cladding is made of beech wood sourced from Brussel’s Sonian Forest! This required a particular approach to the tendering process, which enabled Sonian to provide the material. And on the first floor, you’ll also recognize the Sonian wood parquet that we also supply!

What about the wide roof eaves? They lend character to the building, but that’s not all. In fact, the use of this age-old architectural feature also protects the façade from rainwater, thereby extending the lifetime of the cladding it shelters.

@bru.xselair was chosen to run and animate the ground floor of bar Lisbet. Alongside coffee or a refreshment, you can also enjoy a breakfast, a salad, toast or soup here, as well as a program of local cultural events. You might be wondering: what’s going on upstairs? Well, the upper floor houses the most beautiful office you could possibly imagine for the park guardians service (true!).

Contractor: Balcaen

Architects: V+

Stability : Alter

Technics : Zeugma

Energy: RYA