Sociaal Huis

The extension of the town hall in Langemark by Studio Thys Vermeulen is linked to the redevelopment of the public space and part of a vision to further increase the density of the centre. The new municipal square is part of a larger entity; a new municipal park that connects the railway and church. By analogy, the architects designed the new buildings as a 'diptych' as close as possible to the town hall. This not only has the advantage that the new collaboration between OCMW and municipal services is easier to organise, but also that the buildings are literally merged in a new image, as a pair, i.e. a 'social house' and a 'formal house'. The new building has a multifaceted appeal. A central core with a sculptural staircase, tailored to each service, connects the different floors. The architects are not building a generic, cool and detached kind of building, but a building with its own homely informality and numerous surprising spaces around the central staircase.

This text is based on the project text provided by the architects.