110 Duivelsteen Ghent

Prior to the actual restoration works and architectural interventions, noAarchitecten has been working together with Architecture Workroom Brussels and MAAT-ontwerpers on a feasibility study of the possible futures of the Duivelsteen, at different scales, by linking spatial possibilities to a social mission, and by imagining not only the outcome of a project but also the process that leads up to it. This resulted in a project definition for a place where the development of young people’s talents and the preservation of the monument are key, along the following lines:

Guardian of history
The former 13th-century Romanesque stone house owes its name to Knight Gheeraert of Ghent, known as the Devil, who lived there until the end of that century. Since then, due to its scale and location, the building has had various uses, from monastery to armoury, madhouse, orphanage and fire station. As part of the World Exhibition, the building was heavily restored in the 19th century and transformed into the State Archives, with only the dilapidated east wing of the original building remaining.

Generosity
De Duivelsteen invites people to participate without obligation. Visitors can wander through the building while various activities intersect. Coincidence is actively used to connect the building, the spaces and the people. The generous space in the rooms and halls of the historic building offers the opportunity to host an unusual and temporary programme. Broei is a temporary initiative dedicated to promising young people who are creating a new dynamic in the centre of Ghent. How do we reconcile 800 years of history with new needs and rules, without losing sight of the sensitivities of a programme as fragile and valuable as Broei?

Guiding heritage
The various volumes of the Duivelsteen fold around the sunken Garden. The diverse characters of the building parts and open spaces are distinguished in the Donjon, the Stone, the House, the Bridge, the Garden, the Lane and the Quay. Throughout the five large halls and four stone stair towers, the building unfolds traces of use from different times. We anchor contemporary interventions in the existing: a new wooden storey where a floor is missing, some theatre furniture out of remnants of archive racks, and a renewed Quay for the public. We add an extra layer to the centuries-old volume and enrich its experience value. Time doesn’t stand still in the Duivelsteen. The monument reaches out, opens up and claims its place in the city, for the city.

In February 2022, noAarchitecten submitted a building application to enable the change of function of the protected monument into a work and meeting place for young people, linked to an event space.

At the end of August 2024, work began on the restoration and repurposing of the Geeraard de Duivelsteen. The work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.

Since 2025, noAarchitecten has also been drawing up a management plan (‘beheersplan’) that sets out the guidelines for the management of the monument for the next 24 years.