Belvedere tower is back on De Haan town hall

The town hall of De Haan is currently undergoing a thorough restoration. The building was designed in 1898 as the Grand Hotel du Coq-sur-Mer, a luxury hotel with 62 rooms. In 1936 it was thoroughly renovated by architect Leon Ide, who built and renovated many buildings in De Haan. At the end of the 1940s it was given a second life as a holiday home for children from Charleroi and the surrounding area. In 1979, the city council bought the building to repurpose it as a town hall. In 1985 it was thoroughly restored for this purpose. The original gable roof and the dormer windows were then reconstructed.

The monumental building, which is part of the protected village view of De Concessie, is now also protected as a monument. However, 35 years after the last renovation, a thorough approach was again necessary.

Mayor Wilfried Vandaele: “Due to moisture and concrete rot, among other things, the town hall needed a thorough makeover and is therefore currently undergoing a thorough restoration. The roof will be renewed, the gallery repaired and the facades will be given a new layer of plaster and paint. The costs for this are considerable: the architectural firm estimated the cost at 3.5 million euros. Such investments are almost impossible for a municipality alone to bear. We are therefore very grateful for the subsidy of 2,272,941 euros that we receive from the Flemish Government.”