Deinze Administrative Centre Belgium : Architecture

Tony Fretton Architects wins Town Hall and Administrative Centre, Deinze, Belgium 17 Jul 2009 Tony Fretton Architects has won an international competition for a new €11.75m Administrative Centre in Deinze, Belgium. The new building is set in the centre of Deinze in a pivotal location alongside the Leie River, opposite the cathedral and on the edge of Kaendelpark, the main public park in the town. photos : David Grandorge The site was formerly occupied by a car park and is set within a cluster of public buildings, including the justice department, federal government finance departments, Brieljant youth centre and the town museum and art gallery. The new building provides 8,000 sq m of accommodation and comprises office space for 100 staff, a large archive and staff canteen in addition to a 250 sq m council chamber, public meeting rooms and new quarters for the mayor and town alderman. The design sets the administrative accommodation in a 5-storey building, which runs parallel to Deinze’s principal market street. The council chamber is a free-standing double height room which projects out of the building toward the market street and cathedral. Raised on monumental legs to first floor level, the chamber creates a sheltered public space and entrance beneath. A new south-facing public garden overlooking the river is created in the embrace of the two building forms. The windows of the building are set behind columns of Belgian marble to form a loggia, which provides shaded external space for staff. As well as creating a pleasant microclimate the loggias will be used to display planting and public sculpture for the mutual enjoyment of staff and the public at large. Inside, large public foyers are incorporated on each floor, which act as informal meeting spaces between members of the public and administrative staff and officials. The council chamber has floor to ceiling windows, putting the activity of the council chamber and its frescoed ceiling on display to the people of Deinze. The practice competed in a final shortlist with four other European practices; awg architecten - with Alain Bossuyt (Antwerp, Belgium), De Smet Vermeulen architecten bvba (Gent, Belgium), uapS Anne Mie Depuydt & Erik Van Daele (Paris, France), mlzd (Biel, Switzerland). The project represents Tony Fretton Architects’ first commission in Belgium. The practice is currently building civic and residential projects in Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands. Deinze Administrative Centre images / information received 170709