Braun school

The Jesuit College is a protected monument and, throughout its history, has had many different functions, which have led to small and large-scale renovations. The adjustments did not always take the historical value of the building into account. Restoration of the damaged heritage was urgently needed and carried out with respect to the historical context. This was preceded by a complete inventory and measurement, which took all of the building’s historical and contextual value into consideration.

With the purchase of the Braunschool (Jesuit school) in 1999, UGent wanted to provide more space for the growing Faculty of Law and Criminology, on the one hand, and to establish a building as a pivotal point within the existing cluster of historical buildings, on the other.

The site houses classrooms, offices and a library for the Faculty of Law and Criminology. In order to meet the specific needs in terms of accessibility, fire safety, insulation and acoustics, a number of contemporary additions and transformations had to be reconciled with the historical value of the building. The aim was to preserve the original concept of the Jesuit College as much as possible, with respect to the existing volumes, spatial layout and their wealth of historical elements: including old hand-painted frescoes, semi-frescoes, secco paintings and ornamental panels, which were restored.