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Balance between old and new in the heart of Ghent

Have you ever been to Ghent (Belgium)? Then you certainly remember the beautiful historic buildings surrounding the Graslei. One of these buildings is the guild house of the Vrije Schippers. It is one of the best-preserved guild houses in Ghent. In 2011, the North Sea Port harbor company bought the building and completely restored and redeveloped it with great respect for the historical elements. Thanks to De Pauw Parket (specialized in parquet flooring), Rubio Monocoat has also been able to contribute to this project.

From old to new
The Vrije Schippers guild house already has a long history. In 1530 the site fell into the hands of the wealthy guild of the Vrije Schippers. The guild had the building renovated in the style of Brabantine Gothic. After the renovation, the building changed owner and function several times. Eventually in 2015, under the leadership of the new buyer, the thorough renovation of both the facade and the interior started.

Today, the building is used as a representation house for the North Sea Port authority. There are various spaces such as meeting rooms and seminar rooms, but there is also an exhibition space where sustainability, recognizability and flexibility are the central values.

Rubio Monocoat in the picture
The renovation of the guild house was led by the architectural firm Callebaut-architecten. One of the companies that participated in the restoration was Parket De Pauw.

Parket De Pauw suggested using Rubio Monocoat. Rubio Monocoat was an unknown brand to the architects at that time, but Parket De Pauw managed to convince the architect, the client and Flanders Heritage Agency of the many advantages. After all, the company has been working with Rubio Monocoat products for years and is fully convinced of the one-layer system.

First of all, a colour study was conducted to match the colour of the wood with the space. The colorists of Rubio Monocoat made different colour variants on which the final colours for the space were based.

Luc, from Parket De Pauw, states that in addition to the one-layer system and the extensive range of colours, there are many other reasons for choosing Rubio Monocoat as finish. When you add the B-component, the drying time is shortened, which ensures that the rooms are accessible faster for other projects. In addition, ease of maintenance is a major asset.

The Rubio Monocoat products were used in various rooms in the guild house. For example, certain areas were treated with Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C, colour Mahogany, as well as a customized colour for this project. Certain furniture was then finished with Rubio Monocoat Precolor Easy, colour Intense Black in combination with Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C, colour Charcoal for that intense black look.

Due to the many visitors in the guild house, they chose to finish the various evacuation areas such as the stair halls with the fire-retardant oil Rubio Monocoat FR Oil System.

Heritage Prize 2019
The Vrije Schippers guild house was one of the 3 nominees for the Heritage Prize 2019. On Friday, October 4th, 2019, the guild house was therefore awarded the Flemish Heritage Prize 2019. Thanks to this award, the building acquires an international character.



Project details: The guild house of the Vrije Schippers
Product: Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C
              Rubio Monocoat Precolor Easy 
              Rubio Monocoat FR Oil System 
Colour: Charcoal 
             Mahogany 
            Intense Black
Architect & Design: Callebaut-architecten 
                                 Monument Group 
                                 Parket De Pauw 
Photography: Lenzer

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