Hostel Wadi

Studio Associato Secchi & Viganò

Kasterlee, Hoge Rielen

2011 – 2013

Hoge Rielen

Hostel Wadi is the 18th residential building in the De Hoge Rielen domain. This used to be a military domain and has been transformed into a youth accommodation center. Several old ammunition storage sites on the domain were transformed into classrooms or sleeping pavilions. It is 230 hectares, which makes it one of the largest youth accommodation centers in Belgium. But not only youth can stay there: a circular hostel was added a few years ago. As a couple, group of friends or family you can stay here, breakfast is included.

Hostel Wadi

The aim of the architects was to let the building blend into nature. The outside is therefore covered with wood (European larch), so that it hardly stands out from the road. The roof is planted with greenery. The materials used (concrete, wood and glass) fit in perfectly with the former military sheds that stand on the domain.

Circle

The corridor is lined with floor-to-ceiling glass on the inside of the circular building. Thanks to its transparency, visitors always stay in direct visual contact with nature. When you leave your room in the morning, you are immediately in the middle of the forest. The corridor is not heated, so the rooms have very thick insulated walls.

Wadi

The rainwater from the roof is drained to the central circular outdoor area. The Romans called that an impluvium, but here they speak of wadi. The building is not a complete circle: a part is open and serves as a porch. This creates a connection between nature inside and outside the building. A wadi is an Arabic word for dry river bed.

Rooms

There are 18 rooms for 4 people and two rooms are specially equipped for people with disabilities. The rooms are compact and have their own bathroom and two bunk beds. The lower beds can also be joined to form a double bed. The rooms can also be rented per bed like in a youth hostel. You can enjoy breakfast in the separate restaurant-café a little further.