7/8 – 2011

Ghent

It has been and still is impossible to overlook the fact that in this divided country an independent culture of building is developing – a culture that emphasizes small interventions and long-term, successive developments. Particularly in the region of Flanders, after long decades of cultural stagnation a vital art and architecture scene is blossoming. Flemish architects are often to be met on the building site; they are familiar with and appreciate skilled detailing and, right until handover, they ensure that the work is carried out properly. We turn our gaze to the city of Ghent, which lies in the eastern part of Flanders, roughly equidistant from Brussels and Antwerp. During term-time Ghent belongs to the students. Around 65'000 of them are enrolled at the five universities – in a city with a population of 243'000. Every year several hundred graduates leave one of the architecture schools. Until the 1990s those who had completed their studies encountered a closed market in which a handful of offices divided up the commissions between themselves. This situation has changed completely, since the government of the region Flanders in 1999, following a Dutch example, set up the position of “Bouwmeester” (director of building works).