Straddling the line between rural and suburban, Hannut is a town in search of its architectural and landscape identity. Situated near the language border, this municipality in Hesbaye lies between Liège and Brussels. The call for proposals for its town hall presents an opportunity to adopt an approach that breathes new life into the centre of this town with its diverse fabric. By its very nature, the town hall programme aims to bring people together and embodies this sought-after sense of centrality. By bringing together municipal services, the RCA and the CPAS, Hannut aims to foster greater cohesion. Matador’s winning proposal goes further. It reimagines this public building as a means of creating a better dialogue with its surroundings through the precision of its landscape design.

The project concerns the site of Château Mottin. Already serving as a connecting element, the 14th-century L-shaped building is situated between what was once the historic fortified town on one side and its rural surroundings on the other. Since the 1960s, this former castle-farm, which became a villa at the end of the 19th century, has been used for municipal services. It was to accommodate this new use that an annexe was added to the rear of the château.