STEREO LECTURE: THE PALAIS DES EXPOSITIONS IN CHARLEROI – TRANSFORMING A TRADE FAIR BUILDING INTO A PUBLIC SPACE FOR CULTURE
6 – 8 PM, English
With: Jan de Vylder & Inge Vinck, Nicki Vancaudenberg (AgwA), and Georgios Maïllis, Charleroi’s Bouwmeester
Supported by the Hans and Renée Müller-Meylan Foundation
The Palais des Expositions in Charleroi was built in 1953 to serve as a trade-fair venue for Belgium’s booming industrial sector. However, with the gradual decline of the steel industry starting in the 1970s, activity at the site dwindled. After years of vacancy, a chance for a new beginning came in 2016. The architects Jan de Vylder Inge Vinck and AgwA transformed the building spectacularly: They converted the central part of the 66,000 m² structure — featuring 8-meter-high ceilings – into a vertical park by removing the façades, reduced the surface area for trade fairs, and introduced new uses. The result is a built manifesto of frugal transformation.
Location: Saalgebäude (former Vorstadttheater), St. Alban-Vorstadt 12
Admission: Free
