Open Call
Flanders has a Government Architect (Vlaams Bouwmeester) since 1999. He or she is appointed by the Flemish government as an expert for five years, with the task of promoting the quality of the built environment. Together with a team of architects, the Bouwmeester focuses, among other things, on assisting public authorities in tackling spatial tasks. One of the methods developed for this purpose is the Open Call: a design competition with an international scope.
In the 1990s, there were hardly any government buildings in our country that architecture critics or the wider public were enthusiastic about. Partly as a result of the Open Call, from the turn of the millennium there was a positive change in public building culture in Flanders.
Twice a year, when the Flemish Government Architect launches the Open Call, many architect and designer’s hearts makes a leap. This call enables public clients to appoint a design team for their projects in a transparent manner and with international reach. Thanks to this selection procedure, Flanders was able to add a few architectural gems: the Dossin Barracks in Mechelen, the Provinciehuis in Antwerp, or the extension of the Old Prison into a new city campus for the University of Hasselt.
