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Breaking with the conservative way of living and starting to look for other possibilities is one of the basic lines throughout the oeuvre of architect and town planner Luc Deleu (°1944, Duffel) and his urban development agency T.O.P. office. It is the driving force behind their often surprising designs and proposals for another, 'utopian' and 'unadapted' town, for a different way of living (together). The most recent developments in this process (the 18.51 metre long model of the city fragment is the absolute eye-catcher) and specific proposals for a different Antwerp are the two focal points of this exhibition.

rom the late Sixties, the terrain of the visual arts became the launch pad in Deleu's search for a different urban development, in particular one that would be critical, sociological and ecological. In other words: urbanism that would be a 'worthy' alternative to the existing situations. 
From 1995, together with his agency T.O.P. office (Turn On Planning), he has been working on "The Unadapted City", a conceptual urban development study. Since living on this planet is becoming a problem due to lack of room, the urban space will be used in a more polyvalent way, according to Deleu. Every town is unadapted. Therefore, on the basis of a calculation of the required comfort equipment and housing facilities, T.O.P. office presents an unadapted spatial organisation, which however complies with invisible arrangement principles on a macro scale. Deleu and T.O.P. office are convinced that a town on a large scale is feasible, but has to offer the greatest possible freedom to individual initiatives at the micro level. Therefore the proposed volumes, which are the result of a study of the necessary surface and infrastructure, are decoupled from their programme before the town is occupied. For example, an adequate number of cinemas have been planned, but they can also be used as sports hall, mushroom farm or accommodation for hamadryas baboons. 
“The Unadapted City” is developing in consecutive stages. After the previously designed districts “Brikabrak” (1998), “Dinkytown” (1998-99) and “Octopus” (1999), “Vipcity” is the fourth step: a large development with a spine length of 7.5 km for 38,000 inhabitants in detached houses. 
The model of a fragment of this district, “Vipcity – The Nautical Mile”, is now presented to the public for the first time. The length of the city fragment presented here to scale is that of a nautical mile: a meridian minute or 1851 metres. The 1:100 scale model is therefore 18.51 metres long. In addition to six office buildings, “Vipcity – The Nautical Mile” also contains the necessary space and infrastructure for hotel and catering, sports and entertainment, social amenities, transport, etc. The district therefore includes a convenient cycle track and an overhead tram. 
The second part of the exhibition is focused on Antwerp: here the visitor is presented with Deleu's proposals, which not only tell something about the city, but also offer solutions for acute existing problems. 
Luc Deleu Close Up
A film by Hans Theys
Première on Saturday 18 September 2004
Non-stop screening throughout the exhibition period

Hans Theys has been following the activities of Luc Deleu and T.O.P. office for years. This resulted in a film consisting of eight episodes of around 30 minutes and covering a five-year period (1999-2004). Most attention is paid to the construction of the "Niebuur Three-Generation House" in the Dutch town of Poortugaal. In the background is the work in progress on "The Unadapted City" and exhibitions in Amsterdam, Brétigny and Antwerp (Mercator, Middelheim, M HKA). 

On the occasion of “VALUES”, the film can be viewed in its entirety for the first time. Every ten days a new episode will be premièred on a large screen, while the other episodes can be viewed on monitors from comfortable armchairs. 

'At other locations'
In cooperation with the M HKA, the work of Luc Deleu & T.O.P. office is shown simultaneously in:
Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum (National Maritime Museum)
Steenplein 1, 2000 Antwerp 
www.museum.antwerpen.be
Open: Tue-Sun 10 a.m.–4.45 p.m./ closed: Mon, 1 and 2 November
Entrance fee € 4, free on Fridays
Centraal Station Antwerpen (Antwerp Central Station)
Koningin Astridplein 27, 2000 Antwerp 
Open: Mon-Fri 3.30 a.m.-0.50 a.m., Sat-Sun 4.30 a.m.-0.50 a.m.
Free admission
Universiteit Antwerpen - Bibliotheek Stadscampus (University of Antwerp – City Campus Library)
Prinsstraat 9, 2000 Antwerp 
Open: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat 8.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m., from 1 October Tue and Thu until 9 p.m. / closed: Sun, 1, 2 and 11 November
Free admission
L’Espace Architecture La Cambre - Institut Supérieur d’Architecture de la Communauté Française - La Cambre
Flageyplein 19, 1050 Brussels 
www.lacambre-archi.be 
"La ville inadaptée" from 6 October to 6 November 2004
Open: Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-6 p.m. / closed: Sun
Free admission
Openluchtmuseum voor beeldhouwkunst Middelheim (Open-air Museum for Sculpture Middelheim)
Middelheimlaan 61, 2020 Antwerp
www.museum.antwerpen.be
Open: Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (in September until 7 p.m.) / closed: Mon, 1 and 2 November
Free admission

In collaboration with the Institut Supérieur d’Architecture/La Cambre (ISACF), the M HKA will publisha text from Raymond Balau about 'The Unadapted City’ on the website.


Tanks to T.O.P. office
Steven Van den Bergh, Isabelle De Smet, Stan Jacobs, Laurette Gillemot
Stagiairs : Anne-Sophie Moors, Pieter De Clercq, Saskia Baetens-Van Gils
Projectmedewerkers : Jurgen Ceuppens, Annelies De Mey, Deprez Wannes, Jonas De Rauw, Joris Hendrickx, Jonckheere Francis, Keersmaekers Ines, Lenaerts Marlies, Leysen Nathalie, Lieben Aurore, Koen Pauwels, Judith Peeters, Anna Sochocka, Boris Sverlow, Lieve Sysmans, Ilke Van den Brempt, Jef Verbeeck, Bianca Verbeek, Anna Wójtowicz