Woonzorgcentrum Grootkapel

In Beersel, 51N4E have created a building that also plays a structuring role in the landscape. For a corner site opposite the town hall on Alsembersgsesteenweg, and at the behest of a private care provider, they designed a building that resembles a large garden wall. Rather than separating the village from the residential care home, this wall manifests itself as a large crescent that embraces a new communal garden. And unlike the adjacent town hall, which is only accessible through a gatehouse, the residential care centre fully opens up its grounds to the road. Height differences on the site mean that the garden is slightly elevated from the main street and, as such, it forms a public bel étage or belvedere. It is a space that mediates between the protective environment of the residential care home and life along this thoroughfare.

Jan Vermeulen - Excerpt from Flanders Architectural Review N°13. This Is a Mustard Factory