The City of Roeselare is taking the first step in the development of Kunstensite De Spil by searching for a design team for the renovation and repurposing of Villa Vande Walle. The historic villa will become a shared cultural workspace for the City of Roeselare, Academieplus (the merger of STAP and SASK), and cultural center De Spil.
The villa will take on a new role as a flexible workspace and development hub where artists, students, teachers, and cultural professionals can meet. Professional artists will be able to research, create, collaborate, and exhibit work there, while students of part-time arts education will attend classes and hold showcase events. Academieplus and De Spil will play a significant content-related role, giving the villa a vibrant function once again.
The renovation will include a thorough energetic and structural overhaul, focusing on sustainability and reducing energy consumption. The building's heritage value, comfort, a healthy indoor climate, and sustainable management will also be prioritized. The design team will also explore the relationship between the villa and the surrounding Park Vande Walle.
Villa Vande Walle, built in 1935 to a design by architect Joseph De Bruycker, is notable for its orange brickwork and is designated as architectural heritage. The landscaped garden with a pond later developed into the public Park Vande Walle.
The repurposing aligns with the broader development of Kunstensite De Spil, which encompasses De Spil, the Heilig-Hartkerk, the city park, Academieplus, and Villa Vande Walle, thus forming a cultural campus. The arrival of the new academy for part-time arts education provides an extra boost to this development.
For the new Academieplus campus, bringing together STAP and SASK, the City of Roeselare has been selected for the Flemish DBFM program Scholen van Vlaanderen. This enables the construction of new educational infrastructure for part-time arts education in Roeselare, with works expected to commence in 2030 and completion in 2032.
The Flemish government already allocated 20 million euros in 2024 for the Academieplus campus and in 2025, the City of Roeselare received over 2.7 million euros in Flemish project subsidies for the development of Kunstensite De Spil.
This dossier will be presented to the commission for discussion and to the municipal council for approval.
