Sunday 7 May, just before 10 AM. Hundreds of curious visitors were already waiting in front of the entrance gate to visit the Silt yard. Once the gates opened, the queue of visitors wound their way through the imposing construction project. In the end, the organisers clocked in 6,000 visitors. The casino project – with the new name “Silt” – was one of the Flemish eye-catchers during a successful Open Site Day.

It is unbelievable what is being achieved here

Embuild wants to use Open Site Day to show the general public how innovative the construction sector is. The casino project was in the spotlight on this occasion as a “must see” site for West Flanders. “Projects like this make our ‘lobbying’ for the construction industry easy, says Pedro Pattyn, chairman of Embuild West-Vlaanderen. “It is unbelievable how fast this yard is evolving. I heard from people in Middelkerke that they are really seeing the project ‘grow’ day after day. Phenomenal."

Perfect cooperation

Steven Maeyaert (Furnibo) and Frederik Bijnens (Democo) joined forces and formed a fruitful temporary contractor company for this project. Steven Maeyaert: “This collaboration not only means we can work faster, but we can also ‘tackle’ the challenges of the construction project better. Because there certainly are some. For example, the shoring, the sea wall or the unexpected appearance of Second World War bunkers.”

Frederik Bijnens, on the other hand, is impressed by the speed. “We are used to a thing or two, but it’s still an impressive site. Don’t forget that this place was an open sand plain in February 2022. The structural work will be ready before the summer break of 2023. We expect between 150 and 200 people to be on site during the finishing phase. It will be a master class in planning. But I am convinced that together we will succeed and meet the agreed delivery date. Thanks to a combination of, in the first place, working safely and then very efficiently, this should work.”

Hats off

After symbolically opening Open Site Day by cutting a piece of rebar, Mayor Jean-Marie Dedecker was very pleased. “This is an absolute top project for Middelkerke. It’s why I am so happy that we can show our inhabitants and other interested parties the progress we have made. I’ve said it before: when the casino is ready, it will act as a flywheel for our tourism sector, as well as our image of course. Congratulations to the entire construction team and to everyone who made this Open Site Day possible.

Casino becomes Silt

The mayor, by the way, had another scoop in store. “The project is getting a new name. This building is so much more than a casino. We are building a top location here for relaxation or a dream holiday by the sea. This project connects the very best architecture with a total experience in a unique location. From now on, the building will be called ‘Silt’. This is because silt is the natural sediment that brings together different elements in the sand. We want to challenge the vernacular, so from now on we will refrain from calling the project, ‘casino’ and as use ‘Silt’ as much as possible (smiles).”

Incredibly beautiful project

Katrien from Ostend turned her weekend upside down and came early especially to visit the project. “It’s such a great project. The shapes are very natural and organic. The interior design is sober and tasteful, and when I see the location and design of the hotel, I definitely want to spend the night here because the view will be fantastic. I’m glad I stopped by.”

In total, 6,000 people paid a visit to Silt.