New contemporary art centre to open in industrial heritage site in Forest in October

A former Brussels printing house that once fabricated the iconic ATOMA notebooks is being transformed into a 5,000m² contemporary art hub.

The ATOMA Art Centre is due to open in Forest in October. Designed to be a hybrid and collaborative structure that offers a coworking space and workshops, the project is led by architect Gilles Dehareng and artist Nina Anduiza.

Originally built in the 1920s, the factory site is closely connected to the history of the Atoma notebook, an enduring emblem of Belgian design. The stationery item became famous after the Mottart Paper Mills acquired the patent for ring-bound notebooks in 1948. But the industrial heritage site was left vacant when the company relocated to modern premises in Dilbeek.

Its redevelopment deliberately retains this original vocation for manufacturing and innovation. The project’s founders  seek to give the building a new life as an artistic centre, while preserving its character and identity.

Conceived as an artistic incubator open to everyone in the contemporary art world, ATOMA offers artists and art professionals a platform for imagining, creating, developing, producing and sharing their artworks and projects.  

On the ground floor of the site in Rue Pierre Decoster, an exhibition space with various rooms will host the centre’s own programme as well as projects by external partners.

Upstairs, 15 artists’ studios and coworking spaces promote cross-disciplinary collaboration. The centre also includes an art library, meeting rooms and shared accommodation to house non-local artists on site. A cafe is also planned for the complex once permits have been granted. 

The project has also been designed to be environmentally sustainable. It employs materials such as bio-sourced insulation, lightweight removable partitions and CO₂-absorbing building blocks. The industrial glass windows and their metal frames have been restored and the building is fitted with systems prioritising renewable energy, while reused materials have been extensive used in its furnishings.

Photos: ©ATOMA Art Center