Incoming
Materials from the Borgerstein building in Sint-Katelijne Waver
14/05/2024
Our dismantling team has just brought us a first harvest of over 700 m² of ceramic floor tiles from the Borgerstein building in Sint-Katelijne Waver. Built between 1933 and 1935, this remarkable 350-bed seminary, designed by architect Simon Van Craen, combines neo-Romanesque forms with Art Deco details, and is surrounded by a park of 8 hectares. In the 1970s, following a significant drop in the number of seminarians, the building changed function to become one of the largest centres for persons with mental disabilities in Belgium, administered by the non-profit association Borgerstein vzw. The entire site is now being redeveloped into a mixed neighbourhood combining flats and care facilities, following a competition launched in 2017 by Borgerstein vzw. While the front wing and chapel of the former seminary will be preserved, most of the rear wing will unfortunately be demolished to make room for new buildings. The floor tiles we have recovered are mostly ceramic tiles manufactured by the factories of Welkenraedt and Wasserbillig, in 15x15 cm format, with plain colours or flamed patterns.
We have already started to process these 30,000 tiles to clean them from mortar residues. Some types are already available on pre-order with a 2-6 weeks preparation time!
