Café Coureur

Bart Gregoor, Peter Lantmeeters and his son Thomas came up with the idea for Café Coureur. The aim of the operators is to offer their guests a stay that takes as much stress off them as possible. In addition to food and lodging, the café broadcasts bike races and has a relaxation area. In the massage room and wellness facilities, cyclists can rejuvenate after a tour. From the hot tub, there is a panoramic view of the Haspengouw region.

The focus is on the guests' comfort and enjoyment. That's why interior designer Patrick Janssen involved the suppliers in the planning from the outset, so that they could work with them to find the best solutions. For example, tall taps were installed so that guests can easily fill their water bottles.

The former school was saved from becoming vacant, completely renovated and expanded with a modern annex. The connection to the world of bicycle racing runs like a red thread through the design of the café. The entrance hall is a replica of the venue of the Six Day Race 't Kuipke in Ghent. The hotel rooms are not numbered in the traditional way, but instead bear the starting numbers of professional cyclists from Limburg.

At Café Coureur, the showers are modeled after those at the Roubaix velodrome, which is located next to the finish of the historic Paris-Roubaix bicycle race. The iconic concrete corner elements have been identically reproduced, while the hanging metal chains for hot water have been replaced by electronic sensors.

Both the Roubaix showers and the showers in the hotel rooms proved to be a structural challenge. Since the hotel is located in an old school building, it was not possible to raise the floors. Especially in the barrier-free room, the shower trays should be installed as low as possible in the floor.

Duravit was responsible for all the sanitary facilities and the decoration of the bathrooms in the hotel and was involved in the planning of the project from the outset. This meant that the entire product portfolio could be used – from urinals, toilets, showers and washbasins to hanging systems and actuator plates, as well as all fittings, accessories and mirrors with LED lighting and sensor control. Tempano, for example, allowed us to overcome the structural challenge. The shower tray is self-supporting and can therefore be installed without legs and with a shallow recess depth.