Book about the Braem Building: The Temple of Sciences, written in Dutch, English, and French.
- An ode to the gifted architect Renaat Braem
- A journey through the architectural language and murals of the Braem Building
- Richly illustrated with stunning sketches and photographs
The rectorate building of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is one of the last major projects by architect Renaat Braem, completed in 1976. Braem created a masterpiece of total architecture, rich in meaning: the architectural language, the ellipse, the canopy, the pervasive symbolism, and the murals all embody a humanist worldview rooted in free science. Its aim is to understand the world, not through divine revelation, but through human conviction, inspiration, and knowledge. Following its recent renovation by Origin Architecture & Engineering, the building now stands as an even stronger symbol of the VUB community.
The reader is taken on a journey through the origins of the VUB, the trials Renaat Braem faced to get his designs approved, the stories behind the symbolism, the fragility of modernist architecture, the search for subtle solutions to honor Braem’s original intentions 50 years later, and the urgent need to pass this iconic building on to future generations.
