Atelier Kempe Thill

Parliament for the German-speaking community . Eupen

Atelier Kempe Thill . photos: © Ulrich Schwarz . + baunetz

In November 2008, Atelier Kempe Thill won the international competition for the new parliament building of the German Speaking Community in Eupen, Belgium.

The parliament – one of the smallest in Europe- officially represents the 74.000 inhabitants of the speech community located in the East of Belgium.
The project consists of two parts: the conversion of a monumental sanatorium into a multifunctional office building and an extension with representative spaces for parliamentary meetings. The existing building will be renovated in terms of functionality as well as energy efficiency. Besides the facade, the windows and the slate roof, also the building systems will be completely renewed. Existing historical details will be preserved carefully. The extension is situated half underground in front of the existing sanatorium. With its green roof and green facade, the new building softly integrates with the surrounding park landscape and will emphasize the monumentality of the sanatorium building. The interior of the meeting room is fully covered with specially designed wooden acoustic panels, which interpret traditional wooden claddings in a modern way. From here, the visitor will enjoy a beautiful view to the surrounding landscape.