110 Duivelsteen Ghent

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 magnitude 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 restored to the ideal of the Gothic style in the 19th century and transformed into the State Archives, with only the dilapidated east wing of the original building remaining.

Generosity
The Duivelsteen invites to participate without obligation. One can wander through the building while different activities intermingle. Coincidence is actively used to connect the building, spaces and people. The generous excess in the spaces and halls of the historical building provide an opportunity to house an unusual and temporary programme. Broei is a temporary infill dedicated to the opportunity-seeking youth who create a new dynamic in the city 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 into 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.