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Client(s)Municipality of Middelkerke
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Construction siteMiddelkerke
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Project architectCaro Vermeiren
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Architect teamEdwin Remmerie, Sebastien Delagrange, Tommaso Ascoli, Curd Vesters, Felix Valentin, Ulrich Matthys, Elena Belkova, Loes De Keyzer, Emiel Verhoye
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Partner(s)OKRA lanschapsarchitecten bv & Imtech Belgium nv
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Main contractorCordeel Group nv
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CompetitionLaureate
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Year2025 -
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StatusDesign
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Area6.355 m²
BINST ARCHITECTS, together with Cordeel, has been selected for the design and construction of the new House of the Citizen. The building will become the recognizable anchor of the future town square: open, accessible, and welcoming to everyone. The design references a hand: “We reach out to the citizens of Middelkerke,” confirms Mayor Dedecker. The new town hall symbolizes efficient and accessible services while radiating warmth and engagement. With three floors, it integrates subtly into its surroundings and maintains a modest spatial impact.
Five wings extend a hand to the public and are organized around a central atrium, the visual and functional heart of the building. Here, public functions, ceremonial spaces, and administrative services converge, while the layout allows maximum flexibility for the future. The prominent ceremonial wing faces the new square, framing the landscape with a panoramic window and clear façade signage. Underground, a connection to the existing parking garage ensures the square remains largely traffic-free. The existing concrete canopy will be removed, opening up and greening the square, creating a public space that invites use and actively connects the municipality.
Sustainability and circularity are integral to the design. Geothermal energy and an innovative CO₂-negative façade brick, dry-stackable and fully reusable, give the building a strong, contemporary silhouette. The dune landscape is extended into the new development area and biodiversity is reinforced, ensuring that the town hall is both functionally and spatially deeply rooted in its context.
The new Middelkerke Town Hall is not a building that merely presents itself. It is an open house: accessible, transparent, and welcoming, designed for the citizen and ready for the future.
