Archibelge

Brussels is where Belgians work, and preferably nothing more. But the city is less soulless than it appears. Its permanent residents fight for their identity and recognition. Brussels is a city of comings and goings. It's a place where a large number of Belgians work, but usually nothing more than that. Hundreds of thousands of commuters flock there every morning, only to leave again in the evening. Brussels seems like a transit zone, its towering office buildings contributing to the identity of an ugly, deserted city.

The rural highway is where Belgians live and do their own thing. Haciendas and farmhouses stand lovingly side by side. But Belgians prefer to build at the back, where outbuildings form a surreal and disorderly whole. In this second episode, we travel along the typical Belgian highways, past ribbon development and outbuildings. This trip reveals the idiosyncratic housing desires of Belgians and shows us where the "brick" in our stomachs comes from.

The coast is where Belgians relax. It's one long city, 65 kilometers long and often only 100 meters wide. An Atlantic Wall, where every temporary resident claims a piece of the sea view for themselves. The quest for a sea view has led to an endless coming and going of buildings along our coastline. Like the ebb and flow of the tide, buildings and apartment blocks shoot up, only to disappear again after a while, making way for even taller ones.