The Flemish Chief Architect’s Office has been in existence for twenty years. Whilst preparations for the celebrations are in full swing, the office appears to have come under pressure in recent months. A succession of opinion pieces has been taking aim at it. Both the current Chief Architect, Leo Van Broeckals, and his opponents have come under fire. The fact that a debate on the Chief Architect’s Office, without the exchange of barbs, extends beyond mere rhetoric was demonstrated by the discussion evening at the Atelier Bouwmeester on 11 June 2019. Sofie De Caigny, Dirk Somers, Véronique Claessens, Michiel Dehaene, Bart Casier, Leo Van Broeck, André Loeckx, Sylvie Van Damme, Peter Van den Abeele, Maarten Liefooghe, Peter Swinnen, Stefan Devoldere, Marc Santens, and Wivina Demeester discussed the significance of the role of chief architect, its function and its tools in times of transition.

Societal developments are presenting the role of the chief architect with a number of new challenges. Affordable housing, a dynamic approach to heritage, a broad conception of public amenities, and the issue of urban densification are just some of the many themes that were discussed during the evening’s talks. Sofie De Caigny sees the Chief Architect as a curator: someone who takes on a custodial role for spatial and architectural developments in our region, and who forms alliances with various partners to this end.