The Calidris

The Calidris has a long history as a children's home. As early as 1902, many Brussels schoolchildren spent their holidays at this location.
After its destruction during the First World War, it took a long time before the children's home was rebuilt. This was finally done in 1931 according to plans by the architects Govaerts and Van Vaerenbergh. The building was sober, modern and functional: in the middle were the hall and the common facilities (sanitary facilities, offices, storage rooms), surrounded by the rooms that needed sunlight. In 1935, separate from the original building, four classrooms and an infirmary were added. During the Second World War, the house was damaged again and it could not be reinaugurated until 17 December 1950.
In 1983, the building was sold to the bvba Calidris, which expanded it into a self-service restaurant De Calidris. The name refers to a species of bird: the sandpiper. In 1987, the municipality of Middelkerke bought the buildings to transform them into a centre for socio-cultural activities.

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