Hamont-Achel - Ursuline site

The city of Hamont-Achel wants to develop the centrally located Ursuline Convent into a widely accessible leisure site. A new, central meeting space must accommodate a local services centre, multipurpose rooms and a catering facility, and must make the existing community facilities more visible and accessible. The city of Hamont-Achel has allocated a total investment budget of 4,545,000 euros (excl. VAT and fees) for this project. 

The site of the former Ursuline Convent is centrally located in Hamont city centre, between the ‘t Stadspark children’s and youth zone and the Posthoorn sports hall and events venue. The city authorities want to develop the site into a unique place where heritage, co-creation, tranquillity, education and the experience of green spaces come together, and where every resident of Hamont-Achel and every visitor is given a warm welcome. Both on-site and in the immediate vicinity, there are already a great many community facilities, such as the Cinema Walburg film and theatre venue, the restored Ursuline Chapel, the library and the UiTpunt Hamont-Achel, Huis van het Kind, Expo De Wal, the Dr Bussels Documentation Centre, the rehearsal rooms of the St Cecilia Royal Harmony, and the De Robbert primary school. 

The city authorities want to introduce functions to the heart of the area so that the site can develop into a coherent sociocultural cluster, with a focus on experience, interaction and community. There are several buildings of heritage value on and around the site, such as the Ursuline Chapel, the former piano rooms (a building in the convent garden where boarders could take piano lessons in separate practice rooms), the Convent Garden with its Calvary,  the De Wal farm and the documentation centre. This project must improve access to these buildings and enhance their value. The rebuilt convent wing situated within the project area is outdated, too large, inaccessible and, as a result, severely underused. Its layout also hinders interaction between the various users.

The city authorities intend to house the Local Services Centre, multipurpose sociocultural meeting rooms, hobby rooms and a catering facility in the convent wing. The adjacent and listed Ursuline Chapel was restored in 2024 to serve as a multipurpose hall but is not yet fully accessible. A good connection to the refurbished convent wing should fully open up the chapel , so that it can be used by everyone. The transformation of the convent wing also offers opportunities to improve accessibility across the entire site and to create ‘slow’ connections between the new and existing facilities and with the city park. The convent garden – which is currently being restored – and the new meeting space must be optimally coordinated. Linking and strengthening the green spaces on and around the site will significantly contribute to the site’s identity, provide cooling and enhance local biodiversity. A vision is also expected for the repurposing of the historic piano rooms, so that this building can be meaningfully connected to the functions in the convent building. 

The city’s ambition is to develop the Ursuline site into an intergenerational, readable, inviting and inclusive meeting space, a ‘third place’ where visitors intuitively know where to go with their enquiries. This meeting space must be easily accessible and exude an open and warm atmosphere, so that the Ursuline site becomes the premier destination for leisure activities in Hamont.