New cemetery Watou

DEATH

Death. Have no fear. Talm did not

In front of my door. Enter.

Read my books. In nine out of ten

come for. You are not a stranger.

Don’t fool me with ailments

whose names no one dares to mention.

Don’t put me in a bed among drooling

children who from old age do not know what they are saying.

Don’t knock money out of my pocket

For useless hours in fancy clinics.

Wipe your feet and be welcome.

Eddy Van Vliet

(1942-2002)

Realisation

Implementation

Design

Findings

Dear Mr. Malengier, For many years I have been visiting the arts festival of Watou with a friend (our annual sail from the Netherlands) and we were surprised by a new cemetery. It made a deep impression. The care and attention of the design was palpable and that I combined with the beautiful window with the poem by Eddy van Vliet. The power of simplicity supports death here. My compliments on this design. And thank you for allowing me to experience this. Dick van den Heuvel

‘A poet should live a life so simple that he was already enraptured by the very ordinary impressions. He should be glad for the sunlight, inspired by the sky and drunk on the water’ Ralph Waldo Emerson, inspiration of Frank Lloyd Wright. Hearty congratulations on your new “assignment,” dear Andy. Architect Gilbert Decouvreur

Rightfully so, the design of an artistic hand makes it into this contest. The appropriate shaping of the most melancholy emotion, the sublimation of an inhumanly brief moment of farewell is particularly strongly designed in this one. The memory is physically and mentally central. Congratulations! Architect Stijn Gilbert

Congratulations on the design! The cemetery looks beautiful. Your vision and execution contribute to a dignified farewell and connection beyond death. Yo Haeleydt

Andy, I think that is wonderful for you and actually for the community itself! Freddy Loyson

Andy, I am realy pleased that your design was the winner for the cemetery. Ian Coulter

It is a great honor dear Andy that as a resident of Wervik and the Westhoek, we can have such a great architect in our midst. Yet another brilliant victory for you and your agency. Every design of yours is a constantly growing investment. They are places of paradise where we can develop and/or commemorate. The investors in your gardens create happiness and beauty. For an eternal future of all. Henk Claeys

Congratulations Andy. Further proof that in your professional category, your talent makes you noticeably above the cornfield. Alain De Brouwer

Big congratulations Andy! Talent always surfaces … Keep up the good job. Marc Kino

Fantastic news Andy. News that may be spread as a positive item in daily news reports. Congratulations on winning the design competition for the Watou cemetery as a laureate. We look forward with interest and patience to its realization, it brings us immediately to the memory of the fascinating presentation and tour at the park funeral in Wervik. Sincere congratulations, it benefits the entire community! Paul Decorte

Bravo pour ce beau travail! Récompense bien méritée pour votre réflexion tout à fait fondée et justifiée. Tout est pensé, réfléchi et très clair à la lecture de chacun sur les différents espaces à partager dans le cimetière. Plus le lien avec la ville par le banc devant la pelouse de dispersion. Architect Vincent Nachtegaele

Congratulations again on your winning design Andy! This will have been a challenging project. The old village center of Watou can only benefit! The poetry art trail that takes place there every summer will have a great location there! I am already looking forward to it. Veronique Hostens

Congratulations, what a topper! Patrick Windels

Dear Andy, congratulations on this. A nice place, nice implantation and a handsome design. Rolf Quaghebeur

Andy, hereby I would like to congratulate you warmly on the result achieved and in my opinion really deserved. I wish you continued success. French Durnez

Andy, congratulations on the design and the win! Just last Saturday I was in Watou. I worked there for five consecutive summers as an attendant at the poetry summers. At that time still olv Gwij Mandelinck. He and his family lived in what is now “the poet’s house,” on Kapelaan Street. I experienced a lot of it. We barbecued in that spot in the meadow in the evening. I also remember the controversy surrounding the erection of the memorial stone in memory of Eddy Van Vliet. Then it was banned, and a few years later a new cemetery came up. Surely it gives a special feeling when you know a place and how someone thoughtfully shapes it! Congratulations again! Ralph Marechal

Dear Andy, my sincere congratulations on this wonderful project that looks very beautiful in the artistic village of Watou. Marijke Evens

Andy, congratulations. You clearly have the lines well laid out both in terms of your vision for the site and the overall approach of your office. Architect Dirk Belaen

Andy, Great. Big congratulations. You are quietly conquering the western corner. Notary public and mayor Stephan Mourisse

Andy. Hearty congratulations! It looks beautiful and will be once implemented. Hopefully in Wevelgem you will also get such an assignment one day because the 2 cemeteries still look ‘pathetic’. Nothing but bluestone and some marble can be seen there. Zeno Byttebier

Andy, this is downright awesome and unparalleled design! Paul-Emmanuel Casier

Dear Andy, Congratulations on your winning design. As you say yourself, Watou is not just a village. As a reference to the future, this can count and will no doubt open many more doors for you! Bruno Creus

Congratulations! Very beautiful and soothing. Joeri Leupe

Congratulations on bringing in the project Andy. Sober and classy. That’s all it should be. Frank Vander Stichele

Congratulations Andy, the result of other more than successful projects. Patrick Biesbrouck

Super! This will be an extra artistic push! Patrick Hanssens