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A center that respects the landscape
Silex’s is the new interpretation center for the Neolithic mines of Spiennes, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The visitor trail starts at a reception pavilion accessible via an informative portal with elevated boardwalk or by stairs from the valley. Together they mark a symbolic, almost archetypal perimeter around the historic site. Visitors move on stilts above the original work site, keeping the landscape and archaeological layers intact.
Architecture as contextual interpretation
Right above the main mine rises a vertical shaft, whose scale announces the depth of underground exploration. This subtle intervention shows how the architecture conforms to the context: sober, light and non-invasive. Steel was deliberately chosen as an expressive material-prefabricated, precise, reversible and, above all, suitable for an environment that demands maximum care.
A galvanized steel structure that both bears and imagines
The pavilion rests on a continuous support slab and several concrete foundation blocks. The supporting structure consists of a visible grid of H-columns and H- and I-beams, linked to a façade with rhythmically placed I-profiles and elegant guy ropes. The entire steel structure is hot-dip galvanized and finished with fire-resistant paint (RF 1u), which guarantees durable corrosion protection as well as safety.
Transparency and texture in the facades
Floor and roof are made of steel plate concrete, supported by profiled steel plates. The facades consist of three layers: corrugated metal sheets, pleated flat sheets and an outer skin of corrugated polycarbonate sheets. A grid of galvanized steel gratings (66.6 × 66.6 mm) protects this translucent skin while forming the balustrades inside. This design motif recurs in stairs and promenade, creating a sophisticated dialogue with the green landscape.
