The pharmacodynamic, physiological, and the Rommelaere Institute forms a cohesive set of neo-Gothic architecture right next to the Bijloke in Ghent. At the beginning of the 20th century, city architect and UGent professor Louis Cloquet designed the buildings to accommodate medical research.
Hygiene was an important point of innovation in medicine at the time. This innovation was not only confined to the walls of the laboratories but was also visible in the architecture. Cloquet viewed the project as an educational example for his students of applied sciences and architecture. This complex of buildings could be considered didactic study material, with Cloquet utilizing the entire neo-Gothic catalog. This explains the variety of towers, staircases, doors, built-in furniture, etc. He aimed to unite the artistic aspect with exact science, with a strong focus on the implementation of techniques. The building was equipped with the most advanced technologies of the time, including lighting, ventilation, heating, and water purification and drainage systems.
The LAVA partnership/team of Meer restores, reorganizes, and repurposes the site on behalf of Ghent University. The institutes, with their many peculiarities and specific elements, require designs based on their towers, mezzanines, spiral staircases, and galleries. The search is for the original layout that will serve as a starting point for the design research.
The site will become an open campus and house a wide range of services: UGent’s gastronomic restaurant, meeting & training facilities linked to banquet functions, 2 concierge residences, various offices, career coach Divergent, and the Museum of the History of Medicine. This museum houses a unique collection that we aim to better showcase in collaboration with the Ghent University Museum (GUM).
Together with Gevelinzicht, we are investigating how this complex can evolve toward a Nearly Energy-Neutral, fossil-free building, while preserving its heritage value. The entire complex will be organized from the inside out, ensuring full permeability. From the centrally located ‘pest house,’ circulation will be arranged to connect the originally separate institutes. The most notable spaces are located on the first floor, which we will open across the entire length of the site with a glass walkway, similar to how part of the buildings were originally equipped.
Even inside the buildings, the current enclosed nature will be broken as much as possible. Our additions will be based on Cloquet’s architectural language, adding a few more towers. We will use the historical architectural language in a modern variation.
