The Vlooyberg tower, surreal beacon in the Hagelands landscape

The Vlooyberg tower is a landmark in the Hageland landscape and stands at about 80 meters above sea level. The tower was built in 2013 after the previous watchtower, a wooden structure in the forest, broke down. The municipality of Tielt-Winge organised a competition and the design by the Langdorp architectural firm Close To Bone was the winner. The Vlooyberg tower is a surprising example of the architectural principle 'form follows function': instead of a conventional spiral watchtower, it became a floating structure in the form of a staircase. What could be more obvious than an ordinary staircase to achieve its goal?

The Vlooyberg tower won first prize in the Steel Construction Competition 2014 in the category specific elements. The jury argued the decision as a project full of suspense, full of fantasy, full of absurdity. Something that the visitor can certainly join.

The tower was originally 11.28 meters high, 20 meters long and weighed 13 tons. The galvanized steel frame was coated with rust-brown Corten steel. That color refers to the iron sandstone in the immediate subsoil on which the tower was built. The construction with 55 steps seems to float, but you can rest assured: a small plinth of solid concrete and twelve underground cables of 35 meters absolutely keep the tower upright.

The originally estimated cost of 135,000 euros – of which 25,000 euros European money – led to fierce discussions in the city council. The final cost was 126,266.85 euros.

The tower gained extra fame through the television series 'Callboys'

Five years after its inauguration, the tower was damaged by an explosion on the night of June 29 to June 30, 2018, after partygoers tried to turn it into a shining beacon by setting fire to hay bales of gasoline. The restored tower became about 1.5 m higher and a little longer.

Jan Rymenams