Witte Lelie

It is always intriguing when a place carries a story…

Even before 1900, an important inn stood here, next to the main tram stop. Until 1886 you could even catch the stagecoach to Brecht. It was, in other words, a place of encounter in the village.

Later valued as ‘Hotel De Kroon’ and eventually renamed Hotel De Witte Lelie, the building changed over time. When the building to its right was demolished to create an access road to the supermarket behind, a blind party wall remained, defining the street scene for decades.

With the new residential project, we refer to the volume of De Witte Lelie, but we seize the opportunity to fold the street slightly. In doing so, we not only bring density but also allow the green area behind the site to become part of the street view.

The gap carved out by the functional access road to the supermarket is now transformed into an elongated square with trees — a meeting place scaled to the village, inviting people towards the green landscape beyond.

Along the street there is room for a commercial function, while the square is lined with homes to add a sense of domesticity. Parking is possible here, but always with respect for the residents.

A red-brown local brick, ton-sur-ton roof tiles, timber windows, a subtly different railing, balconies, small front gardens… all strengthen the residential identity of this place and help slow the pace, restoring a sense of village life.