Poelberg tourist centre

The transformation of this former Neo-Gothic convent on the Poelberg into a resting place for cyclists and walkers explores the relationship between its partially lost architectural identity and the introduction of contemporary interventions.

Archival research provided the basis for restoring essential elements of the original architecture. Stepped gables and the vertical proportions of the window openings, erased by successive modernisations, were reintroduced to recover the building's original character.

New interventions, responding to contemporary requirements for accessibility, natural light and views, adopt a deliberately contemporary architectural language.

A timber canopy replaces former outbuildings and provides shelter for outdoor seating. Its rhythmic sequence of columns evokes the sense of enclosure once experienced in the convent's playground, while allowing uninterrupted views towards the meadow and surrounding landscape.

The project establishes a dialogue between memory and transformation, where restoration and contemporary architecture reinforce rather than compete with one another.