Rehabilitation and Transformation  of the Grand Hornu – Belgium

Location: Hornu, Belgium
Project: Rehabilitation of a 19th century industrial complex
Surface: 150 000 m2
Role: Architect and planner
Status: Completed

The Grand Hornu is a remarkable historic mining and industrial complex dating from the industrial revolution. Set up between 1810 and 1830 by Henri De Gorge, a captain of industry of French origin, it constitutes a truly urban-scale project, an example of functional town planning in Europe at the beginning of Industrial Revolution.
The Grand Hornu includes workshops, offices, housing for workers, etc. The vast workshops include arcades, pediments and windows in half-moons giving a sustained rhythm to the exteriors.
Today, the site houses the Museum of Contemporary Arts of the French Community in Belgium, offering restaurants, bookshop, shops, conference-rooms, among other services.

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