New Cultural Hall Soignies, Belgian Building News, Design, Property Images
Cultural Hall Soignies
Espace culturel Victor Jara, Belgium Culture Centre in Belgian town of Soignies
2 Nov 2009
New Cultural Hall in Soignies
Espace Victor Jara
Date built: 2009
Architect: l’Escaut & Bureau d’études Weinand (momentary association)
Location: Soignies – Walloon municipality located in Belgian province of Hainaut
Photos: Filip Dujardin
A landscape rising from the ground
The site is in the middle of the historical center of Soignies, a stone throw away from the imposing XII century collegiate that overshadows the surrounding fields. The Senne, a river that was buried underground in the beginning of the XXth century, draws the outer limit of the site.
Its invisible presence, as well as the massive church above the site, invited a topographical exploration on the project with these two elements as anchors. The building is covered with rough stone crust. Its forms evoke a strange rock emerging from the ground, as evidence of the town’s original bond with its stone.
Theatre in the street
The proposal goes beyond its initial ambition, which is the construction of a performing arts hall by including in its scope the rich outdoor carnival and local festivals. The project contains, in its morphology, the two sides of the local cultural dynamic: institutional culture inside the building, and popular culture outside and on the building, following the external walks and a stepped slope that doubles up as outdoors seating for street festivals, carnival and other events, or simply welcome occasional pedestrians.
Public space as a pattern
Laid on the Van Zeeland square, the building was designed as an extension of the public space that surrounds it: it penetrates in the interior by numerous entrances around the building. The hall footprint was limited to allow a new public square on the East side.
This square appears as an outside foyer. It becomes part of the medieval tissue of streets, lanes and squares. The interior foyers are entirely glazed and cover the entirety of the façades. They transform what could have been a closed box into an open space that lights the city when evening falls.
Play as a motor for public space appropriation
In this project, l’Escaut capitalizes on programme margins to maximise play and discovery opportunities in the urban space: plays on the outside stairs, during the walk up…
The artist Domitienne Cuvelier joins this approach. She places wood benches around stone games on the new square, and surrounds them with trees and plants whose seeds can be used as chips in the games.
A “small big” hall
In contrast with the airy foyers, the hall is submerged in darkness thanks to its acoustic dyed. The surface of the stage stretches to half of the total surface, which makes possible large-scale dance and theatre shows. The telescopic seating (from 400 to 600) guarantees use flexibility according to the nature of the show. The highest gallery, which has the same visibility curve as the seating, invites you to dive into the stage space.
As a result of a public/private cooperation between the city Soignies, the Belgian French Community and Dexia Bank, the new cultural polyvalent hall has the ambitions of the high and demanding level that the tool provides. This allows the city Soignies to imagine their cultural offer on a regional scale.
This project follows an architecture competition, won by the temporary association l’ Escaut & the study office Weinand.
New Cultural Hall Soignies – Building Information
project name: Espace culturel Victor Jara
place: Van Zeeland square in Soignies
program: Cultural hall with 400 seats / 600 standing up. The hall’s purpose is to host creation as well as artistic diffusion of shows, exhibitions, animations or events.
Public/Private Partnership
developer – building: Dexia Bank SA
management: Municipality of Soignies ; Cultural Center of Soignies
funding: Belgian French Community
project authors: l’Escaut & Bureau d’études Weinand (momentary association)
project leaders: Michael Bianchi & Florence Hoffmann, of l’Escaut
structure: Bureau d’études Weinand
scenography: l’Escaut
fluids: Seca Benelux
acoustics: Capri Acoustique
artist: Domitienne Cuvelier
signage: l’Escaut
landscaping: l’Escaut, Bjorn Gielen & Domitienne Cuvelier
surface areas: 1,950 sqm
budget: 3.000.725 € WVAT
gauge: 400 seats, 600 standing up
maximum height: 14 m
duration: Jan 2005 (competition) – May 2009
New Cultural Hall Soignies Belgium images / information from l’Escaut Architectures
Location: Soignies, Belgium, western Europe
Architecture in Belgium
Belgian Architectural Designs – chronological list
l’Escaut Architectures studio based in Bruxelles
Another recent Belgian building design (partly) by l’Escaut Architecture:
Cheval Noir Housing, Brussels
Design: L’Escaut-Gigogne
photograph : Marc Detiffe
Cheval Noir Brussels
Website: Architectural Walking Tours
Belgian building by l’Escaut Architectures in Belgium:
Charleroi Museum of Photography Extension, Mont-sur-Marchienne
photo : Gilbert Fastenaekens
Charleroi Museum of Photography
Belgium Court of Justice, Hasselt
Comments / photos for the New Cultural Hall Soignies Belgium Architecture page welcome
