Xaverius church

The neo-Gothic St. Francis Xavier Church, inaugurated in 1915, was shaped through negotiations between the municipality and the church, with the municipality ultimately securing a forecourt at the intersection of Eloystraat and Georges Moreaustraat. For nearly a decade, the building has remained vacant, a closed monumental presence in Cureghem. The municipality of Anderlecht now proposes transforming it into a multifunctional community centre, including a library, café, and a sports hall for a circus school and shared activities.

Opening these functions to the neighbourhood is key, but altering the historic façade is not an option due to its protected status. Instead, the project connects the interior to the city through a series of “satellites”: a public stage, a café terrace, a shared studio and garden house, and a guesthouse in the former sacristy. These elements link the building to its surroundings on all sides.

A gradient of vegetation reinforces this connection, shifting from mineral at the entrance to dense greenery at the rear, while an existing community garden is integrated and expanded.