Sint-Annakerk, a protected 19th-century monument in Rundbogenstil, lost its religious function in 2016 after years of gradual decline. In 2023, private investor Delhaize took the church on a long leasehold. Today it is being transformed into a neighborhood supermarket, restaurant and wine bar. A financially strong function is not a compromise, but precisely the driving force that made a full restoration possible, and the way in which Sint-Annakerk will once again become the heart of its neighborhood.
The design was driven by a single principle, that program follows place. Each function is positioned according to the scale, light, and orientation the building naturally provides. All interventions are reversible: a raised floor integrates the technical systems without touching the historic tiles, a glass wall separates the supermarket from the restaurant, and a central path through the nave accommodates the sustainable installation of the refrigeration units, with heat recovery, and ensures the church is well lit. This project shows how a commercial function can enable and promote heritage repurposing and preservation, provided every intervention remains legible and reversible, never overriding the building’s historic character.
A Project by Woonwerk Architecten and Bressers Architecten, in collaboration with Delhaize, OMGEVING and Artes.
