Dear journalist,

We are pleased to inform you of the delivery of the new reception building at Gaasbeek Castle, designed by architect Pierre Hebbelinck.

The completion of the reception building, which will open its doors to visitors on 1 July, is the penultimate step in the master plan for the entire heritage site. The reception pavilion of Gaasbeek Castle and its baroque orchard consists of a large roof for visitors and reception. This includes the ticket office, the museum shop, the castle library and the archives. The framework is composed of steel profiles that perfectly take up the slanting loads in one direction but are weak in the other; this alternation creates a collective balance, each column correcting the weaknesses of its neighbour. The reception volume is built using the poorest construction material, the concrete block. The placement of the block uses the mortar of the joint, crushed by the weight of the block, to project from the wall, giving the latter an increased materiality, a random texture, catching the light and shade.

Complete file in appendix.