Les Sans Logis

• Date 2011-2014
• Address 172 Rue Saint-Laurent – 4000 Liège

Founded in the 1950s, the non-profit organisation Sans Logis aims to provide emergency accommodation for the homeless. The organisation runs two shelters, one for women and children, and the other for men. The construction of the latter replaces ageing, energy-inefficient facilities situated on the hills above Liège, which were demolished to make way for a brand-new building. Funded by private donations, the building faces onto Rue Saint-Laurent and is accessible via two main entrances: the first reserved for residents, the second – which is accessible by vehicle – dedicated to service providers. The layout is very simple, with communal and administrative areas concentrated on the ground floor. The design of the residents’ quarters perfectly meets the need to provide a refuge from the hardships of life on the streets. At the rear, a dining room, a games room, a staff room and a lounge fan out and open onto the tranquillity of a lawned garden. The first floor comprises family and shared bedrooms, whilst the second floor provides several single bedrooms reserved for men. Each accommodation unit has a terrace that can be enclosed by a wooden shutter that slides up and down. The entire building can accommodate 64 beds. The attention to detail in the interior spaces is particularly evident in the work of the artist Jacques Charlier, whose depiction of the twelve signs of the zodiac adorns the panelling on the ground floor. The façades, characterised by their great simplicity, combine architectural concrete and timber beneath a flat roof.

• Description of the collection

  Planning permission, specifications, construction documents, correspondence, minutes of meetings…

• Volumetry 14 archive boxes (1.68 m)
• Bibliography

  VERSCHAFFEL, Bart, ‘Returning to Everyday Life’ in ‘Charles Vandenhove. Maison Sans Logis, Huis voor Thuislozen. Liège’, Liège, 2014.

• AUTHOR AND DATE OF THE ENTRY Sébastien Charlier, 2023