New destination for Saint-Victor
The St Victor Institute in Turnhout is a school campus of the Brothers of Charity. Due to the relocation of the school, the modernist building will become vacant. Together with the Brothers of Charity, PMV is looking for a new destination that should lead to a sale or long lease to one or more private partners, with PMV possibly co-investing in the development or operation.
The magnificent building was built around 1966 in the modernist architectural style of the ‘Turnhout school’. The construction fitted in with the economic, demographic and cultural expansion of many Flemish cities in the golden sixties. The Turnhout School was built in the late-modernist architecture used at the time. Several architects contributed to the design: Carli Vanhout, Paul Schellekens, Lou Jansen and Rudi Schiltz. The design combines the play of volumes of the cantilevering facades and of the central building block on columns with the heaviness of the concrete. Le Corbusier did just the same in the Sainte-Marie de la Tourette convent, the prime example of Brutalism. The building is surrounded by three playgrounds. Since 2019, the complex has been included in the property heritage inventory.
Exceptional character
The building has an exceptional character. Its location, size (about 12,000 m²), architecture and heritage status make it very special. As a result, a specific approach is required with a view to adequate valorisation and reallocation. The business plan should provide for a sustainable profitable use with respect for the typical architecture.
PMV’s role
PMV, under the banner of the Flemish Heritage Vault, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Brothers of Charity to sustainably redevelop the Saint-Victor. In a first phase, a spatial redevelopment study of the building will be carried out to investigate new profitable infills. In the process, the opinions of both the city services and the Heritage Agency will be combined. Potential private stakeholders will also be surveyed. A specialised team was appointed for the study in May 2021, namely Heritage and Vision, in collaboration with Architects in Motion and subcontracted by Value Partners, including Studiebureau Van hoorickx. The study will start in September 2021 and will include a structural, financial and spatial analysis. There will also be a market study and design study to lay the foundations for profitable infills. In a second phase, there will then be a market process to attract a partner. This should take care of both the design and construction work and the operation (including maintenance) of Saint-Victor. In order to spread the investment cost over time and give interesting projects every chance, PMV can take on an investment role in the project.
The project in numbers
- Plot area: 8,374 m²,
- Building floor area: approx. 12,000 m²
Partner
Brothers of Charity manages more than 50 schools for ordinary and special primary and secondary education, 12 psychiatric hospitals and 15 orthopaedic centres. Their activities also include elderly care, addiction care, social economy and child day care. In total, 12,500 employees in Flanders and 1,500 in Wallonia provide care and education to some 40,000 children, young people, adults and the elderly.
