With B-ILD, Gevelinzicht, and Createlli, the college of mayor and aldermen appointed a project team on September 7, 2026, tasked with developing a future vision for the entire site and outlining the guidelines for a phased and feasible renovation. Participation will be ongoing throughout the process.
The comprehensive study aims to lay the foundation for a feasible, sustainable, and future-oriented renewal. For ten months, the project team will investigate how the site, which houses the cultural center, the Social House, the library, the Academy for Music, Word, and Dance, and the police support point, can evolve into an open and connecting space for culture, welfare, education, and meeting. The intention remains for the local service center to find a permanent place here. The integration of artistic workshops, currently held at the Piereman on Nijverheidslaan, is also being examined.
The cultural center in Strombeek-Bever is now over fifty years old and faces various technical challenges, such as concrete damage, water infiltration, and outdated techniques. The roof and certain fire safety adjustments have already been addressed, but improvements in accessibility and user comfort are also needed. Simultaneously, planned relocations offer new opportunities. The local service center will soon move into the cultural center, and the library will relocate to the Sint-Amanduskerk in the foreseeable future. This creates a valuable chance to re-examine and reconfigure the entire site. For instance, it is being investigated whether the visual arts workshops can also be accommodated there and how different functions can reinforce each other.
The selected project team will carry out the assignment in three phases, with participation as a common thread. First, the project team will investigate the condition of the buildings and map the needs of users and partners. Subsequently, at least three future scenarios for the site's layout and operation will be developed and compared in terms of spatial, technical, organizational, and financial aspects. Based on feedback, a preferred scenario will be chosen and refined into a concrete renovation strategy, including phasing, costs, and how operations can continue during renovations.
In addition to the cultural center and the Social House, the Academy for Music, Word, and Dance is closely involved. The academy will retain a permanent location on the site. The study will explore how its operations can be further strengthened within the renewed site and what possibilities exist for optimal use of spaces and facilities. This approach aims to achieve realistic choices with broad support and enhance collaboration between the various functions on the site.
For the preliminary phase, a project team was selected through the procedure of Team Vlaams Bouwmeester. After an call for interest from about thirty teams, four were invited to submit a proposal. The assignment was ultimately awarded to B-ILD, Gevelinzicht, and Createlli. Together, they combine expertise in architecture, renovation, building technology, sustainability, participation, and co-creation. This combination ensures that the spatial, technical, and human aspects of the site's future development are carefully examined. The current working hypothesis foresees the integration of the local service center, the repurposing of the vacated library spaces, and a new plan for the current Social House, followed by renovations of the Social House and the cultural center itself. The order of renovation for the different buildings may change based on the study's results.
