Klein Semenarie Hoogstraten

The Klein Seminarie (literal: Little Seminary) is a school in Hoogstraten that was founded in 1835. The building complex consists of various parts which have been combined into an urban whole. It is a school in the city, but also a city within the school. On the occasion of the college's 100th anniversary, architect Frans Peeters built a Centenary Chapel in 1933-1934, simultaneous with the construction of a new campus.

The current buildings not only represent the local history of Hoogstraten, they are also a reflection of the prevailing educational vision and view on religious confession at the time. Both the front building of the Klein Seminarie and the Centenary Chapel are protected as monuments due to their general importance, formed by their historical, in this case also architectural and interior-historical value. Due to the growing school and the outdated infrastructure, there is a need for restoration, renovation, and reconversion of the front building and the chapel of the Klein Seminarie. Prior to appointing a designer, the school board had already concluded that it would be best to link their spatial needs to the existing historical heritage instead of making way for a new construction project. During the competition phase, it became clear to us that, in addition to this appropriate choice, the school campus also suffers from a historically evolved excess of buildings and open spaces. This analysis proved to be a real eye-opener for the management and gave rise to a different perception of the available space.

In a collaboration between the designer and the client, the task of filling all available space within the Klein Seminarie as meaningfully as possible with both school and extracurricular activities is being and continues to be shaped. This means thinking beyond the (current) needs of the school. In practice, this does not always prove to be self-evident. An empathetic design process is necessary.

Subproject – redevelopment of the forecourt in front of the front building

The new design for the plinth bordering the Vrijheid is a clear response to the profound evolution of the street as a public space during the last seventy years. Originally, the Vrijheid was a public space with hardly any motorized vehicles. The public space was shared mainly by horses, cyclists, and pedestrians. There was no distinction yet between the different traffic flows, resulting in a much broader public domain adjacent to the school. The relatively low speed and low frequency of vehicles reinforced the existence of such a shared space. Even on the scale of the city of Hoogstraten, the Vrijheid was able to compensate for the absence of a central Main Market Square. For this reason, there was no need for Frans Peeters to provide additional public space at the Vrijheid at the time.

Frans Peeters' solution for the leftover spaces between the street and the recessed footprint of the art-deco Front Building lay in creating a number of subtle flower beds, thereby softening the severe facades by partially embellishing them with greenery.
The current state of the Vrijheid, however, is completely different. A remarkable increase in motorized traffic with a higher average speed has largely displaced pedestrians from the street scene. Furthermore, the separation of traffic flows brought a clear distinction between carriageways and footpaths. Thus, the public space for pedestrians at the school was drastically reduced and enclosed between green verges and the cycle path/car road.
Our architectural intervention attempts to improve this situation by replacing the green verges with a number of paved zones, which expand the public space towards the facade of the front building. The expansion of this public zone is desired to provide a safe waiting area for the large number of students who gather in front of the school during peak hours, for example to wait for the bus.

The design respects the original design of these places as much as possible by aligning the geometry of the interventions with the geometry that Frans Peeters provided in the green zones. The color of the chosen materialization is matched to the rich materials present in the front building and the color of the existing greenery. The new plinth remains respectfully low relative to the existing front facade, thus emphasizing the general appearance of the building relative to the Vrijheid.

Subproject – repurposing of the Centenary Chapel

The chapel has always been an urban catalyst for both the school and Hoogstraten, a link between externals and internals. The chapel regularly hosted lectures and reflections for students. On weekends, Eucharistic celebrations were held. The chapel was also used for less religious purposes such as musical performances, theater shows, academic sessions, and parties. From the beginning, by opening their chapel and the social activities between families and school-going youth, the school opened its gates to the residents of Hoogstraten.

In contrast to the front building, the function of the chapel has faded today. It is hardly used for school activities anymore and the Eucharistic celebrations are poorly attended. In the future, this will only worsen, so the question remains: 'What to do with the chapel?' Due to secularization within the school community, the protected school chapel has been used very little in recent years. The 'mental' decline had already set in and consequently led to more rapid physical decay.

It is obvious that the chapel is less susceptible to adjustments, renovations, etc. However, it is a very beautiful open space that can be used in a strategic way. The unique location and the unique space make the chapel suitable for many functions. It is a matter of making the right choice.
The accessibility and programming of the chapel can be viewed from different angles. From the school's perspective, as part of their study rooms, playground, classrooms, logistics, etc. From the community's perspective, as a centrally located open covered space for performances, culture, lectures, auditorium, … And so on. The possibilities are endless, they just need to be discovered, and that is what this project aims to do.

Pending a thorough restoration, we, together with the client and users, tested the multiple uses of the chapel through a one-on-one design research process. Especially by doing. Not a design from the drawing board, but discovering the possibilities together. Our suggestion as architects, for a use as a quiet study space, was explored in collaboration with teachers and students.

For one week, the church pews were moved aside, even 'removed', and space was made for new school activities. In the cleared chapel, various initiatives were literally given space. From a capoeira session to a lying concert. Or a floor chessboard game to a fashion show about traffic-safe clothing. Experiencing and appropriating architecture through shared experience and creation is literally applied here. This instant use is employed as a tool within the design research.

The effect of this intensive and multiple use over a short period of time continues to resonate. It has led to discussions about a possible use of the chapel as a municipal cultural center, hours were made available for a teacher to create an activity calendar for the chapel. The chapel was rediscovered as a space with room for poetry, film, media, dance, music, and visual art. The residents and visitors of Hoogstraten are also (once again) welcome in the school.

Subproject – restoration of the facades, roofs, and exterior joinery

This project involves the restoration of the exterior of the front building. It concerns restoration work on the roofs, facades, and exterior joinery. Particularly the part concerning the joinery involved an important research trajectory, as the historical joinery no longer met current and future use due to thermal, acoustic, and practical reasons. In close consultation with the Heritage Agency, it was decided to restore the historical joinery on the ground floor, while that on the upper floor, where the classrooms will be located, may be replaced to match the historical appearance, but taking into account thermal and acoustic requirements.

Subproject – interior

We are currently working on a pilot setup for one floor of the front building, where we are realizing 5 new classrooms and a wide corridor that can serve as a collective space and will be an extension of the classrooms. This pilot setup will be the result of a participation process that we started together with the management and teachers.

In a later phase, the interior of the entire front building will be addressed.