The client’s ambition was to create an exhibition area for The Brussels Museum of the Geuze. The existing deep building, with a façade width of 9 m and a building depth of 41 m, was - and still is - mainly used as a storage space for beer barrels. The existing roof structure consisted of timber trusses and an unusable attic. The intention was to dismantle the entire roof structure, including the floor, and replace it with a new construction that would provide sufficient light and space to function as an exhibition hall. The historical load was significant, but given the numerous cracks in the load-bearing brick partition walls, it was desirable to keep any additional loads to a minimum in order to avoid interventions at foundation level. Thirteen new timber portal frames, spaced at regular intervals of approximately 290 cm, support the new roof envelope. The frame legs were prefabricated in the workshop and assembled on site at the ridge. Each portal frame rests on a horizontal timber main beam, which also carries the prefabricated timber floor panels. To reduce the construction height, these panels were fitted with glued-in beams, screwed onto the main beams. The entire timber structure is made of LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) due to its strong structural properties and its stable behaviour. The new staircase core, built in concrete at basement level and in CLT panels on the upper levels, contributes to the transverse stability of the building. Photos from Générale assemblée