Designs for the conversion of the former Grand Hotel in Nieuwpoort, Belgium have been presented to the national and local press, in the presence of Mayor Geert Vanden Broucke and the Minister for Heritage Matthias Diependaele. The project, by VDD Project Development, will be called The Grand and seeks to reconnect the building to the surrounding public realm at ground level while converting the upper floors for private apartments. The surviving historic fabric will be carefully restored and lost elements, such as the tower and domes, reinstated. They draw inspiration from the playful original 1924 design by Apollon Lagache. The building will grow in scale with an additional four storeys, regaining its presence as a landmark on the Nieuwpoort beachfront.