The gap between concept and execution can sometimes be wide, and one might wonder how the two relate to one another. A fine answer lies hidden in the ‘De Blokskens’ project by Happel Cornelisse Verhoeven Architects, where the execution actually reinforces and completes the concept.

You win or lose a design competition on the quality of your concept. That is, at least, how the Flemish Government Architect’s Open Call is conceived. But as Walter Gropius once said: ‘The ultimate goal of all visual activity is building.’ Being the best on paper does not necessarily hold up in practice. The assessment of a completed project cannot be made without an analysis of the execution. But how important is execution, really, to the success of a concept? Can good execution save a weak concept? Or can you still ruin a good concept on site? In other words, the question is whether materialisation is the cosmetics of architecture or the heart that makes the picture come to life.