B-juxta architecten

27/04/2026

(Opening) The restoration of the Balgerhoeke railway bridge has been completed — and the project was officially inaugurated today.⁠
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The 1947 steel lift bridge, part of a tourist railway crossing the Schipdonk Canal, has undergone a comprehensive restoration aimed at securing its structural integrity while preserving its heritage value.⁠
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The works included the careful repair and renewal of the steel structure, the conservation of historic paint layers, and the precise replacement or refurbishment of original components. The movable section was dismantled and restored, while the fixed span was treated off-site under controlled conditions, allowing its original detailing and proportions to be retained.⁠
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Technical upgrades have brought the bridge in line with contemporary safety and performance standards, without compromising its historic character.⁠
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With its inauguration today, the bridge resumes its role within the tourist railway — prepared for the future, while honouring the engineering heritage of the past.⁠
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More on our website: https://b-juxta.be/projects/balgerhoeke-railway-bridge
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Client: Vzw Stoomtrein Maldegem-Eeklo⁠
Photography: Lucid
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16/04/2026

(Project launch) A milestone for the Toontjeshuis project in Ghent: the careful transformation of a historically significant convent within the Klein Begijnhof Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Hoyen has officially started.⁠
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The project focuses on the restoration and transformation of this former convent into a collective residential setting. Bringing together heritage and social housing, it creates a calm and low-stimulus environment with 15 residential units for adults with disabilities.⁠
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Rooted in a thorough understanding of the building’s historical layers, the convent — developed between the 17th and 19th century — is approached as a coherent whole, with respect for its evolution over time. Interventions aim to restore and clarify the existing structure, while subtly integrating contemporary standards for comfort, accessibility and sustainability.⁠
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B-juxta is responsible for the restoration component of the project, building on a longstanding involvement in the phased conservation of the beguinage. This accumulated expertise informs a careful and considered approach, aimed at safeguarding the site’s heritage value. Developed in close collaboration with the client, designers and construction partners, the project sets out a careful balance between preservation and transformation — in line with the beguinage’s long-standing tradition of collective living and care.⁠

More on Toontjeshuis on our website: https://b-juxta.be/projects/toontjeshuis
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Client: Social Impactfonds Toontjeshuis
In collaboration with: Schepens Claeys Architects
Contractor: verstraete.team
Partners: Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed, Stad Gent, VZW Begijnhof
Photography: verstraete.team, B-juxta
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25/03/2026

(Press play) The Belfry and Cloth Halls of Ypres in motion
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Last week, the restoration of the Belfry and Cloth Halls in Ypres was officially inaugurated — marking the completion of a five-and-a-half-year project led by B-juxta and ARTER.
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To coincide with this moment, we made a film that takes you through the restoration process, guiding you across the monument and its many layers — from the timber spire of the Belfry to the façades, stained glass, joinery and slate roofs.
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Rather than rewriting history, the project continues it. The film shows how the intervention builds upon the post-war reconstruction by Jules Coomans, following the same construction logic while carefully preserving the monument’s material integrity.
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At the heart of the project: a meticulous process of dismantling, documenting and reassembling — most notably in the Belfry’s timber spire, where historic elements were preserved to the greatest extent possible.
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A layered monument, restored through equally layered craftsmanship — now brought together in motion.
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Watch the film and discover the restoration step by step.
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Many thanks to
Letterlik & Mustang copywriting for the video concept & scenario
Letterlik for the video animation & design

Client: stad Ieper
Restoration team: B-juxta & ÁRTER
In collaboration with: Abicon
Contractor: Monument Vandekerckhove
With the support of: Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed
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21/03/2026

(Restored & revealed) Belfry and Cloth Halls of Ypres — het Belfort en de Lakenhallen van Ieper.

After five and a half years of careful restoration, one of Europe’s largest medieval civic halls has been brought back into full architectural clarity — and now, with the scaffolding gone, new photos reveal the finished result in all its detail.

Commissioned by the City of Ypres, B-juxta and ARTER restored the entire outer envelope of the monument — from the timber spire of the Belfry to façades, stained glass, joinery, and slate roofs — building upon the historic reconstruction led by city architect Jules Coomans after the First World War.

Rather than rewriting history, the project continued it. The works followed the same sequence as the twentieth-century reconstruction, allowing each part of the complex to be approached according to its own construction logic and material character. One of the most remarkable interventions concerned the Belfry’s timber spire: the entire structure was dismantled, digitally documented, and reassembled — with almost all historic timber preserved.

Throughout the works, the museum and visitor functions remained open, making the restoration a careful choreography between heritage, construction, and public life.

No plans yet this weekend? The restored Belfry and Cloth Halls are being celebrated with a public opening weekend until tomorrow. Join for guided tours, demonstrations, and the unveiling of new façade details.
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A film documenting the restoration process is now online: https://vimeo.com/1175222431?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
Dive into the restoration journey — full story, behind-the-scenes insights, and fresh photos are now on our website: https://b-juxta.be/articles/belfry-and-cloth-hall-of-ypres-restored
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Client: stad Ieper
Restoration team: B-juxta & ÁRTER
In collaboration with: Abicon
Contractor: Monument Vandekerckhove
With the support of:
Photography: Lucid
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23/02/2026

(Step by step) Kerkstraattrap restoration kicks off today.

Today marks the start of the restoration of the iconic Kerkstraattrap (Leeuwentrap) in Blankenberge. The works form part of an ongoing assignment in which B-juxta is restoring six protected monuments across the city.

The Kerkstraattrap is one of three historic stone staircases connecting the town to the seafront. Over the coming year, the monument will undergo a phased restoration. The first phase focuses on the stone steps, with a temporary scaffold staircase ensuring continued access to the seawall. After summer, the balustrades, side walls and ornamental elements will follow.

This project is part of a broader heritage trajectory that also includes the restoration of the iconic Paravang (1908), a Belle Époque windbreak overlooking the marina, alongside several other civic and commemorative landmarks that shape Blankenberge’s architectural identity.

From archival research and material analysis to on-site ex*****on, our role spans the full restoration process — carefully balancing conservation, durability and public use.
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More updates as the works progress!
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Client: stad Blankenberge⁠
Images: B-juxta (current condition), Beeldbank Kusterfgoed (historical image)
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09/02/2026

(Completed & opened) Coach house, Wippelgem castle grounds

The restored coach house on the Wippelgem castle estate has been completed and officially opened last weekend. As a protected monument, the building was carefully restored and equipped with a new interior, while retaining its role as a polyvalent event space.

The coach house is composed of several interconnected volumes, with the oldest parts dating back to the early 18th century and later additions from the 20th century. A former south-facing extension was removed and replaced by a new volume, designed with a clear architectural language and a restrained material palette. Large glazed façades open the building towards the castle and the pond, strengthening the relationship between inside and outside.

Two precise architectural interventions within the historic structure enhance both the spatial quality and functionality of the building, while respecting its layered history.

For now, we’re sharing a first few images captured in winter conditions, showing the project quietly settled into the snowy landscape. Photographs of the finished interior and its full use will follow soon.
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Discover the project on our website: https://b-juxta.be/projects/wippelgem-castle-site
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Client: Gemeente Evergem
Photography: Stefan D’hooge

27/01/2026

(In print) B-juxta colleagues Wouter Van Acker and Mieke Goegebuer, together with Kathleen Moermans, explore the history and restoration of the Tondeliersite gasholders in the latest issue of M&L — Monumenten, Landschappen en Archeologie.⁠

Along Gasmeterlaan in Ghent, two telescopic gasholders from the former city gasworks (1883–1945) have been preserved — the only remaining examples of their kind in Flanders. Restored on behalf of the City of Ghent, the project was guided by minimal intervention and maximum conservation. One gasholder was fully restored as a monument, while the second was carefully renovated and given a new role as a public meeting place within the Tondeliersite park.⁠

For the occasion, new photographs of the site were taken by .lucid, capturing the gasholders as they stand today within the surrounding landscape.⁠
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Discover the project on our website: https://b-juxta.be/projects/gasholders
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Client: stad Gent
Images: Lucid⁠⁠⁠
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15/01/2026

Also joining the search: B-juxta.
Looking for a new mind to join the team!

B is the sum of four studio divisions called B-architecten, B-bis, B-city and B-juxta. At B-architecten, we design sustainable buildings that enhance both the urban and the open space.

13/01/2026

(Meanwhile during construction) St Peter’s Church, De Panne

Work at St Peter’s Church in De Panne is steadily progressing. Three new skylights now flood the interior with natural light, and the CLT mezzanine has been installed in the side aisle, shaping the future reading and gathering areas.

Our design reimagines the church as a contemporary library with flexible, polyvalent spaces — including an approachable café — while preserving the building’s historic character.
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Learn more about the project on our website: https://b-juxta.be/projects/sint-pieterskerk-de-panne
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Client: municipality of De Panne
In collaboration with: Fallow architectuur, ACME
Images: B-juxta⁠⁠⁠
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09/12/2025

(Update) In Oudenaarde, after months of careful dismantling, deconstruction, and stabilisation, we are now fully ready to begin the reconstruction of the 16th-century Maagdendale gatehouse.

This characterful building, once the entrance to a Cistercian nunnery, will be given a new lease of life as part of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KABK).

A meticulous, heritage-led approach ensures that every intervention honours the building’s past while preparing it for sustainable, future-oriented use.
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Learn more about the project on our website: https://b-juxta.be/projects/maagdendale-gatehouse
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Client: stad Oudenaarde⁠
Photography: the construction site as it looks today, as seen by B-juxta⁠
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