David Chipperfield Architects has unveiled plans to restore the former Grand Hotel in Belgium to its former glory.
Designed by Belgian architect Apollon Lagache in 1924 for the seaside resort of Nieuwpoort Bad, the hotel was most recently used as holiday apartments but has been vacant since 2018.
The project seeks to restore the building to its former grandeur through its restoration and sensitive vertical extension. The upper levels of the building will house apartments while a restaurant, bar and shops reconnect it to the surrounding public realm at ground level.
The surviving fabric of the building will be carefully restored, such as the entrance and the original façade features. The bays and terraces that were an extension of the public space along with the Grand public rooms that were destroyed and filled in during the 1950s will be reinstated. The apartments, situated on the upper floors, will be respectful to the original structure of the hotel. Lost elements, such as the tower and the domes, will be reinstated, drawing inspiration from the original design.