Purged circulation and flexible functionality

New training center of Cercle Brugge KSV

Cercle Brugge is taking an important step in its ambition to score European honors with the construction of a brand new training center. The complex, to be realized in two phases, will meet the highest standards of sustainability and flexibility. 

Joost Depreux, operations manager Cercle Brugge: "The club finished fourth in the Jupiler Pro League this season and qualified for European soccer again after 14 years. The plans to build their own training complex are not new. A year ago, the plan was to put up a fairly basic training complex with a few containers. But a lot changed in that time. It's simple, if Cercle Brugge wants to grow further and profile itself permanently as a development platform for young up-and-coming talent, it urgently needs its own modern training center. To do that, you need to attract the right profiles, and then you can go no further. In the current circumstances, this is slowly but surely becoming unfeasible. So Francis Demey (BLAF Architects) and I talked to some industrial builders and came up with a feasible, future-oriented plan."

Hybrid and synthetic turf fields

"We will lay two new hybrid turf fields on the existing site of De Gulden Kamer in the first phase of the project, along with the training center itself," Joost Depreux continued. "There are currently already two existing fields there, used by the Cerkelladies. We will upgrade those fields slightly, though. But not yet with the major means such as field heating, sprinklers, ... We are already laying the pipes and tubes for them. So that we are prepared for everything. Because a lot depends on the second phase. Which will only start when Club Brugge receives its environmental permit. Because then we have to leave, with all our teams. During that phase, the existing fields will be replaced by two synthetic fields and an extra hybrid field. For the U23 and the second team. The first team will train on the two new hybrid fields. That is already established. Everything is done by the French company Natural Grass, under the watchful eye of our head groundsman Declan Robinson. He performs the same job at AS Monaco FC and has previously worked for Fulham and Arsenal. Plenty of experience, in other words!" 

Sleek, light and basic

Joost Depreux: "For the training center itself, in terms of inspiration, we looked around at our colleagues at Ostend, Kortrijk, Genk and Club Brugge. We keep it sleek, light with lots of glass, a wooden look and above all ... basic. We want to do a lot with tight budgets. Of course, we will finish the building as good as possible. Think of foundation works, waterproofing and windproofing, all techniques and of course all necessary finishing. For the environmental works, we divide everything into the existing two phases: extensive earthworks, sewerage, laying roads and paths, piping for everything you can think of, green works, fencing and access control, connection to existing networks, and water management."

No real corridors

Francis Demey, director BLAF architects: "Apart from the fact that, as an architectural firm, we have a lot of experience in such sports- and culture-related projects, we also went for far-reaching sustainability and circularity for Cercle Brugge's training center. And I don't just mean in case this building ever has to be moved or dismantled. The filling of the center is also extremely flexible. Example? Every trainer has different ideas about training, rest areas, ... And then by moving a wall here and there you have to be able to create new, appropriate spaces. Is a bit peculiar to the house, BLAF architects. 'Purged' circulation and very much flexible functionality. There are hardly any real corridors to be seen, and the walking lines are logical. All together it will be a very beautiful project, on which Cercle Brugge can pin all its ambitions for many years to come."