Kortrijk railway station saved from demolition, what now?

The railway station of Kortrijk in Belgium has known a turbulent few years, to say the least. It was initially going to be demolished and replaced by a new building, but since September it has become clear that demolition is definitely off the table and that designs for new buildings can be shelved. The question now is: what should happen to the building?

We found an interesting proposal at an architectural firm literally just a 2-3 minute walk from the station: Vandenborre Architects, located on the Conservatoriumplein. Manager Steven Vandenborre comes into contact with the building almost daily and was never a fan of new construction from the outset. On the contrary, he wants to give the existing volume a new dimension while respecting the existing architecture and detailing.

Reconstruction architecture

Before we ask him to explain his design in more detail, we need to outline the existing situation. The building in question is a typical example of post-World War II reconstruction architecture. It was designed by local architect Pierre Albert Pauwels and dates from 1956. In turn, that railway station replaced a neoclassical-style building that was officially opened in 1876, which itself replaced a temporary volume built in 1840. The new building in 1956 was constructed out of sheer necessity, after the original railway station was largely destroyed by Allied bombing in 1944.

It is easy to understand why there was so much opposition to the demolition, including from the Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology (VVIA, Vlaamse Vereniging voor Industriële Archeologie), which, together with others, brought a case before the Council for Permit Disputes (RVV, Raad voor Vergunningsbetwistingen). Pauwels' creation may have exuded classic monumentality, but it was much more than that. Classic architectural principles such as symmetry and monumentality were given a contemporary, more playful design language, which means that today it has undeniable heritage value. This is certainly true when you consider the station's connecting function with both its immediate surroundings and the city. It is no coincidence that in 2023, the Kortrijk railway station was recognised by the heritage organisation Europa Nostra as one of the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe. In short, in March of this year, the RVV responded positively to the case and, at the beginning of September, the three parties involved in the application procedure for the demolition of the monument (NMBS/Infrabel, De Lijn and the City of Kortrijk) officially announced that they were definitively shelving the demolition plans. This decision was undoubtedly influenced by the fact that the budget required for a new building would be considerably high...

“In addition, they will certainly have taken into account the fact that the plans to replace the building would have left little communication with the surrounding area. That would undoubtedly have made it feel like a strange, grandiose intervention,” says Steven Vandenborre. “In this case, when modernising, you can hardly do anything other than start with the classic facade structure. This is a stately building with a high entrance, flanked by two adjacent lower wings, and you simply have to honour that.”

Opening up to the urban context

Vandenborre then explains how his office wants to further investigate how the existing volume can be given a new dimension while respecting the existing architecture and detailing. He wants to discreetly open up the existing space to an urban context, thereby creating a new dynamic.

“Think of activities such as a café, a supermarket, flexible office spaces, meeting rooms, a library, etcetera. All these things will ensure that the site once again becomes an exciting meeting place in a very central and easily accessible location.”

Crown on the station

“What we propose is to place a crown or lantern on the existing volume in our design. This should translate the underlying architecture into a strong urban image. This will give the project a new boost and give the building, which is currently somewhat recessed, a new look from the main sightlines.”

A striking feature of the proposal is the translation of the difference in level with the street into a large podium. This ensures that the outdoor space around the building functions as an urban square and park.

Tribute to Adriaan Linters

"Feel free to call our design a tribute to our fellow citizen Adriaan Linters, who passed away at the end of May. He was one of the founders of industrial archaeology in Belgium and former chairman of the Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology. Respect for the past is central to this, which is in line with what Linters had in mind: to be a champion of the preservation and sensible use of existing valuable buildings that define the memory of a city."