The essence of the in-between : transforming Galerie Matongé through appropriation

Kinsoen, Elise
(2025)

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KINSOEN_54852000_2025_Appendix1.pdf
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Details

Supervisors
Demart Sarah ; Ledent, Gérald ; Fontaine, Christine ; Chanvillard, Cécile
Faculty
Faculté d'architecture, d'ingénierie architecturale, d'urbanisme
Degree label
Master [120] en architecture, à finalité spécialisée (Bruxelles)
Abstract
enGalerie Matongé in Brussels is not just a covered passage, it is a place that lives and breathes through its people. Over time, what was meant to be a tidy commercial space became something entirely different: a layered, informal environment shaped by daily habits, culture, and community. This thesis explores how that transformation happened, not through grand plans, but through countless small acts of appropriation. Shopkeepers extending their displays, neighbors gathering to talk, spontaneous changes to fit new needs, these are the things that gave the space its identity. Rather than seeing these changes as a design flaw, this project sees them as signs of life.Galerie Matongé reveals the richness that lies in-between, between architectural intention and everyday use, between heritage and transformation, between formal and informal. It shows how architecture can support rather than control, leaving room for growth, change, and meaning to emerge.