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Zandberg, Ghent
On the square Zandberg, in the heart of Ghent, Sum built twelve apartments on the site of the former "De Cleene Pelicaene" home for the elderly. The new building consists of two- and three-bedroom apartments spread over five floors. Next to it, a new stairwell and elevator were set up in the adjacent Hotel van der Meersche.
The existing construction from 1950 had three façades: one facing the square Zandberg, a street façade on the Ursulinestraat and a garden façade on the historic inner garden. To avoid scale rupture with other façades facing the square, the new façade on Zandberg was built following a traditional rhythm of the parcels and along three different building lines. First one follows the original, irregular building line of the historical buildings with their 18th century crow-stepped gables. The second one, resolutely set back, brings necessary relief and articulation to the façade. A series of roomy terraces was placed between these two building lines. Finally, recessed zinc-covered attic follows the third building line.
To preserve the integrity of the historic garden and the uniformity of its façades, the current façade facing the garden was replaced by the new one with the same rhythm of piers and the same cornice height. The intimacy of the garden, belonging to the adjacent Hotel van der Meersche, was respected by means of terraces and windows expressly recessed from the openwork façade.
Visually important corner of Zandberg and Ursulinenstraat was treated with special care: the height of the new, extensively glazed façade was reduced due to the width of the Ursulinestraat and the cornice heights across the street.
Client: Sandhill nv
Concept: SumProject
2072