Lab and microbrewery of Duvel Moortgat by AWAA

Brewery Duvel Moortgat needed a new space to develop and expand, so they asked AWAA to find a suitable spot. After the necessary research, the expansion took place on the birthplace of Duvel beer and the adjacent building. This new development gave a sense of timelessness, with a firm footing in the history of the brewery as well as the realisation of a vision for the future.

Historic features are emphasised, deliberately exposed and contextualised by contemporary additions, such as the glass façade. The building complements the existing urban landscape and perfectly complements the current juxtaposition of family homes and industrial buildings with their wide variety of styles.

By preserving the original façade and building a micro-brewery, AWAA proposed a complete restructuring of the site. This would allow the company to develop new, young beers on site – the classics of the future – and partially open this space to the public.

To develop the project successfully, it was essential to consult with everyone who would be using the building. Those involved all had different ideas about how the space and its fixtures and fittings should be arranged. These preferences naturally arose from the nature of their work and their individual approaches. AWAA documented everything: the experiences, needs and expectations. From these, AWAA extracted the common factors and used them to construct a building for the residents to perfection.

As part of the 150th anniversary of the Duvel Moortgat Brewery, photographer Serge Brison has created a new series of photos of the last two recently completed projects: “Duvel Lab” and “Duvel Filtration”, capturing 20 years of collaboration and trust between the DUVEL MOORTGAT group and architect Charly Wittock for architectural firm AWAA.

Photography: Serge Brison
Source: Stedenbouw