Four important events have taken place in the history of PONTES:
founding of I.V.C.A. – 1978
opening of the Antwerp crematorium – 1983
opening of the Turnhout crematorium – 1992
opening of the Lommel crematorium – 2018
Mission & values
Four important events have taken place in the history of PONTES:
founding of I.V.C.A. – 1978
opening of the Antwerp crematorium – 1983
opening of the Turnhout crematorium – 1992
opening of the Lommel crematorium – 2018
In the 1970s, there was an increase in the number of people in the province of Antwerp who wanted to be cremated. The Antwerp municipal council and the provincial council were therefore asked to build a crematorium.
Even though, according to the law of 20 July 1971, funeral services in Belgium are a municipal responsibility, it was the Antwerp provincial council that instructed the deputation in October 1975 to find a solution to the shortage of cremation capacity.
Discussions with the colleges of mayors and aldermen of the three district capitals (Antwerp, Turnhout and Mechelen) and the seven municipalities in the Antwerp agglomeration led to the establishment of the Intercommunal Association for Crematorium Management in the Province of Antwerp S.V. (I.V.C.A. for short) on 14 February 1978.
The founding members were the province of Antwerp and the municipalities of Antwerp, Berchem, Borgerhout, Deurne, Ekeren, Hoboken, Mechelen, Merksem, Turnhout and Wilrijk. I.V.C.A. would establish crematoria in Antwerp and Turnhout.
Over the years, several municipalities became shareholders, especially with the prospect of the construction of the second crematorium. The same happened in 2013 when plans for the crematorium in Lommel became concrete. Today, Pontes has 57 municipalities as shareholders.
The foundation stone for the crematorium in Antwerp, next to the Schoonselhof cemetery, was laid on 9 September 1981. The building was put into use on 2 February 1983. The total cost was approximately €6,200,000, of which €1,536,000 was subsidised by the Flemish government.
The main contractor for the crematorium was Reynders N.V. from Hasselt. The architect was Maurice De Vocht. In his design, he paid particular attention to the functionality and serenity of the crematorium building. De Vocht also took into account the emotionality of the public.
Despite the complexity of the crematorium building, De Vocht managed to maintain contact with nature in all rooms accessible to the public.
Initially, three cremation furnaces were installed in the Antwerp crematorium. In 1985, the technical area was expanded with two additional cremation furnaces. In order to comply with strict environmental legislation, a new complex was built in 2000. The technical installation now comprises four furnaces with environmentally friendly (downstream) filters.
In 1989, the I.V.C.A. took the initiative to build a second crematorium in Turnhout in the province of Antwerp. The Turnhout crematorium would be located next to the Nazareth cemetery. The first stone was laid on 19 June 1991. The new crematorium opened in September 1992. The total cost amounted to approximately €6,250,000. The main contractor for the crematorium was once again Reynders N.V. from Hasselt.
In their design, architects Van de Voort and Mertens sought above all to create a functional design that radiated tranquillity and allowed the public to experience their emotions in a serene manner.
The Turnhout crematorium is equipped with two cremation ovens with environmentally friendly (downstream) filters.
In 2012, Pontes entered into a partnership with the municipal council of Lommel to build a crematorium next to the “Centrum” cemetery. With the construction of the crematorium, Pontes is responding to the increasing demand for cremations in the North Limburg region.
Six other municipalities have since joined this initiative. The first stone of the “Stuifduin” crematorium was laid in November 2016 and it was officially opened in April 2018. The crematorium was designed by Luc Vanmuysen (a2o architects from Hasselt).
The crematorium in Lommel has three furnace lines.