Gerechtshof Hasselt
Kolmont Turns Century-Old Belgian Courthouse Into Modern Residences
Transforming the courthouse into living space
In the quaint town of Hasselt, Belgium, the dream of living in a landmark can become a reality. Two renowned property developers—Kolmont and Trans Urban Landmarks—have joined forces to give a complete makeover to the nearly century-old, empty Court of Justice building. Luckily, the local authorities took the plan with open arms, and now the whole town awaits for the construction to begin — but before all this could happen, compelling visuals were essential.
Exterior and interior images came first, then we moved on to a Christmas-themed cinemagraph as a seasonal teaser. A year later, Kolmont needed an elegant and clean animation for this remarkable landmark makeover to further strengthen sales
Walkthrough with a cellist
Our aim was to emphasize the fusion of the century-old building’s history with Zesth Architects’ contemporary design that is actively present in the concept of the renovation.
When working on the exterior renderings, significant elements of the eclectic interbellum architecture—such as the characteristic yellow brick, allegorical sculptures, and the dominant entrance portal—were important to visualize precisely. Not to mention the imposing hall with barrel vault, the cement tiles with patterns in colour or the special bronze lamp fixtures used for the interior designs. What connects every frame throughout the animation can be also heard by the ears not only seen: the classical instrumental music played by a cellist. It’s calm, sophisticated, and harmonious—everything you’d expect from a luxurious lifestyle.
A fusion of history and luxury
The Gerechtshof renovation is unique, because the building itself is full of dualities both in design and location. It lies in the centre of history and culture, surrounded by museums, restaurants, boutiques and a local market bustling with tourists. Yet, as we step inside the hidden courtyard, everything becomes peaceful and private. This component is the eye-catcher of Havermarkt’s redevelopment and will be constructed on the roof of the underground car park, with trees in the open ground.
Where justice used to be administered, there will now be 30 modern apartments with a community meeting space, shops and offices. However, as the Courthouse is one of the most monumental buildings in the province, the architects were super-conscious about caring for its heritage. “With passion and respect, a design is created in which the past and present come together to prepare the building for the future.”— writes Architectura, the leading Belgian architecture portal. Based on this principle, the whole facade will be renovated, but the original design remains, thanks to Michel Janssen and Zesth Architects who collaborated on transforming the old Hasselt courthouse into a vibrant living and meeting place. Koen Laurijssens, design project lead at Zesth Architects is responsible for the development of the new-build apartments, while Janssen’s firm specialises in the repurposing of historical monuments—creating the perfect vision for Gerechtshof. “I see it as a fantastic intellectual challenge to embed this building with great historical value and special complexity in the city centre, to integrate it into the Havermarkt, with an optimal residential and working function.” —added Koen about the upcoming development.
The most important feature of this makeover for both the locals and the residents is very well summarized by Michel Janssen: “By not always demolishing everything to the ground, you can consider the reuse of heritage as a primary form of circular construction,” which is the base for future-proof buildings, just like Gerechtshof.
Project details
Location
Hasselt, Belgium
Partner
Collaborator
Team
Petra Ország
Péter Kollár
Matteo Piccini
Ilus Varga
