Reconversion of the “Ateliers Centraux” in Seraing

The project concerns the rehabilitation of the «Ateliers Centraux» in Seraing, which used to be used for the construction and maintenance of machines belonging to the Cockerill group. This reconversion is part of the Masterplan of the City of Seraing, which aims at an urban requalification of the city centre and benefits from financing from the ERDF 2014-2020 fund.

In collaboration with the Baumans-Deffet architectural office, bureau greisch is conducting the studies for the development of a shared car park with 650 spaces on 3 levels integrated into the existing halls, and a pedestrian crossing. The whole project covers more than 30,000 m².

The central hall is partially demolished, involving the reinforcement of the metal structures still in place.

Part of the roofs were removed to accommodate the car park. To preserve the industrial heritage of the building, the columns of the old overhead cranes are kept.

The stability of the existing slab was further checked. This is supported by a grid of columns every 5×5 metres. However, the construction of the car park, partly underground, requires the demolition of a row of columns to allow the passage of vehicles. On this passage, the existing slab is reinforced to extend the span from 5 to 10 metres.

The addition of this prefabricated reinforced concrete structure requires a reinforcement of the foundations. The prefabricated reinforced concrete structure was chosen for its speed of execution, aesthetics and lower cost compared to a steel structure.