Modular timber construction meets public safety
The newly renovated police station in Diksmuide (BEL) forms an architectural link between the residential and industrial areas. The building’s location is designed to ensure optimal functionality and integration into the surrounding environment.
The entire load-bearing structure consists of cross-laminated timber, which was chosen for its structural quality and the ability to complete the building quickly.
Around 240 m³ of PEFC-certified cross laminated timber elements from Mayr-Melnhof Holz were used here.
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The police building is organised across three storeys, with a clear distinction between areas open to the public and those accessible only to authorised personnel. The ground floor houses the public areas, including reception desks and interview rooms, as well as a logistics garage and technical storage rooms. The two upper storeys are designated for operational functions such as offices, changing rooms and meeting rooms.
The compact, square floor plan organises the functions around a central atrium flooded with natural light, which serves as a meeting place for staff and a space for informal gatherings. This core is visually, circularly and functionally connected to the workspaces and the roof garden.
The prefabrication of the timber structures enabled a short construction period.The striking timber structure remains visible inside, lending the space warmth and the pleasant tactile quality characteristic of wood.
The façade is designed as a ‘curtain of light’ that envelops the building. It consists of a membrane made of perforated and profiled aluminium panels. This choice of material fulfils the design brief to create a building that discreetly conceals its internal processes whilst simultaneously making a statement within the streetscape.
The newly renovated building in Diksmuide has created a modern police station for over 120 police officers and trainees.
Photo credits: Bieke Bruggeman
Award: Bronze at the Belgian Construction Awards
Sources:
https://www.goedefroo.be/project/pz-polder
https://achtergael.be/en/projects/police-building-diksmuide/