Two almost identical red wooden buildings, marking the entrance to a chestnut-lined avenue, catch the eye in a densely built-up street in the centre of the Antwerp town of Mortsel. KPW Architects designed a scout hall and an after-school care centre, and with the symmetrically arranged volumes, created a gateway to a new urban garden.

The town of Mortsel commissioned the construction of a green youth cluster comprising premises for an after-school care centre and a scout hall. An old chestnut-lined avenue, which once provided access to the former cemetery, lay somewhat lost within a typical small-town setting of heavy traffic, car parks and ground-floor flats. The architects draw the passer-by’s attention to the value of the inner area, which is completely enclosed by the urbanised context. With the youth cluster, kpw architects designed a new gateway to the town garden (which is being landscaped by Stramien). The green space creates a new link for cyclists and pedestrians to the centre of Mortsel and to the new school (by Crepain Binst) at the other end of the park.