Lionel Jadot Studio has transformed former military barracks in Ghent into a 108-room hotel for the Jam Hotel brand, focusing on adaptive reuse, reclaimed materials and collaboration with local creatives.

Rather than radically altering the structure, the studio sought to intervene as little as possible, allowing the building’s original character to shape the design.

Preserving the Original Fabric

During the removal of suspended ceilings and later wall claddings, the team uncovered the building’s original structure, along with layers of paint, plaster and exposed brick. Instead of refinishing these surfaces, they chose to preserve them, highlighting the building’s material history.

Old wooden roof beams were repurposed for flooring and for cladding the hotel bar, reinforcing the project’s commitment to reuse.

Collaboration With Local Designers

More than 40 local designers, makers and artists contributed to the project. The Ghent-based studio Duplex Studio designed simple wooden furniture for guest rooms and public areas.

A modular bed system was developed to allow disassembly and future reuse in alternative configurations. The reception desk was constructed from reclaimed shelving units, giving existing materials a new function.

Local designer Pierre Vandeputte created furniture from salvaged planks discovered at a nearby former school site.

A Living Platform for Craft

Throughout the hotel, shelves made from recycled boards display objects sourced from local workshops, including leftover materials, fragments of stone and textiles. These installations turn the hotel into a curated platform for regional craftsmanship and contemporary Belgian design.

By combining minimal architectural intervention with material reuse and community collaboration, the project demonstrates how historic military structures can be reimagined as sustainable hospitality spaces while retaining their raw architectural identity.