Woonzorgcentrum Sint-Vincentius

For a long time, Houtmarkt in Kortrijk was a rundown parking lot, adjacent to an outdated hospital. A brick wall concealed the adjoining Begijnhof park. When the hospital relocated, the city council seized the opportunity to redefine the square. URA was commissioned to design a residential care centre on a compact site.

Residential care centres are often pushed to the edge of a residential area. The architects took advantage of the exceptional location in the city centre and created a link with the surroundings. The building connects to the city over two layers. On a number of levels, you look out over roofs and towers in the city centre. Lower down, the building also connects to its surroundings, where the ground floor almost merges into the square. The residential care centre is organised around two inner gardens. These patios are semi-public spaces that offer peaceful surroundings and a place to meet up. Each room also overlooks one of the gardens. The façade alternates between hard and soft materials and responds to the different proportions of the building: from city block to group to individual.

This project was opened on the occasion of the 2017 Day of Architecture.