The Frans Masereel Centrum is a Flemish centre for the graphic arts that was opened in 1972. It is a place where Belgian and international artists, researchers and graphic designers can stay, meet and experiment. It offers a workplace and residences to graphic and other artists and critics who want to work on engraving, relief printing, silkscreen and lithography, or research the relationship between graphic art and the other visual arts. The organisation focuses mainly on creation rather than reproduction, since it is intended to function as a laboratory. It is also a platform for the public, the artist and his work. The Frans Masereel Centrum also organises all manner of graphic art projects such as exhibitions, open portfolio sessions, talks, print-related demonstrations, etc.

The present main building was put up by Lou Jansen in 1967 and is a circular volume containing the studio and the administrative areas. The nine triangular artist's houses are arranged in the form of a U. The well-considered structure of the site and the main building provide the perfect setting for both the residences and the printing studio.

The new building for the centre comprises a printmaking studio, a public area, a workshop for technical maintenance and an archive room. The design should match the special architecture of the present buildings, and meet the specific requirements of a printmaking studio that is to be used communally and the multifunctional objectives of the public area, which will be used for exhibitions and presentation as well as a meeting place. The architectural challenge is to create a place where works of graphic art can be produced and shown under ideal conditions, and where artists can meet and exchange ideas and knowledge. The printmaking studio will also house the equipment for the various printmaking techniques, with an emphasis on a silkscreen studio. The archive room will keep about 15,000 works of graphic art in museum conditions. The key concepts for this new building are: sustainability, safety, efficiency and openness.

Global fee €55,000 incl. VAT