In La Fontaine’s fable, whilst the oak embodies resilience and the reed negotiation, it is the reed that the fable ultimately proves right. This lesson in flexibility could be one of the keys to understanding the approach of the Alain Richard studio. For the Maison de la Nature in Molenbeek, this allows the project to adapt to a programme and a site that are in a constant state of flux. Better still, these detours and twists and turns enable it to develop its own character and relevance.

On the initiative of a local association, ‘Les Amis du Scheutbos’, the municipality of Molenbeek acquired a plot of land in 2003 adjoining this small patch of unspoilt countryside within the metropolitan fabric. Much like the Bois de la Cambre in the south, the Scheutbos provides a vital breathing space for the entire western part of the Brussels urban fabric. Combining an urban recreational park with a semi-natural space, it is a public asset that has been carefully preserved since the revision of the Brussels sector plan in 1990.