After a year and a half of intensive construction work, Matthias Belpaire, Infrastructure and Heritage Coordinator at VIERNULVIER, reflects on a crucial phase in the restoration of De Vooruit.
What happened during those 17 months, when large parts of this iconic Ghent landmark were closed to the public, while VIERNULVIER’s artistic programme continued without interruption?
In this lecture, Belpaire takes you behind the scaffolding, discussing structural interventions as well as concrete improvements in accessibility, safety and sustainability. He also looks at how spaces have been rethought and optimised for future use.
De Vooruit was built in 1913 against the backdrop of the rise of socialism in the early twentieth century. The building is an Art Nouveau gem in an eclectic style and is regarded as one of the most important monuments in Ghent and in Flanders. For nearly seventy years, periods of glory alternated with times of decline. The building has undergone numerous alterations over the years, and continues to do so.
From August 2024 to January 2026, De Vooruit once again entered an intensive phase of renovation and restoration, bringing the building closer to the grandeur it enjoyed a hundred years ago while at the same time providing a contemporary, comfortable visitor experience. The redevelopment project consists of two clearly defined components: a restoration that returns the monument to its original state and a renovation that improves the building’s usability and functionality.
A wide range of heritage elements have been carefully addressed. Historic interior doors, exterior joinery, herringbone parquet floors, marble, stained glass and decorative finishes are being restored to their former glory, as are the zinc roofs that have suffered the effects of time. At the same time, the building is being prepared for the present and the future, with the addition of a new lift, improved sanitary facilities, higher handrails on staircases, and a modern ventilation system.
Matthias Belpaire provides a clear and engaging explanation of the underlying choices, the current plans, and the ambitions for the future of De Vooruit.
An engaging lecture for anyone interested in architecture, heritage and the living history of Ghent.
