Patrimony and Modernity in Architecture, Belgium
Grand Curtius Museum & SNCB-Infrabel Liege-Guillemins TGV Station
Sep 15, 2009
Belgium, a small Western European kingdom bounded by The Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, is organised into three independent regions: Regions Flamand, Bruxelloise/Capitale and Wallonie.
With the coming Feast of Wallonie (French-speaking community), several activities have been lined up, including the 'Journées du Patrimoine en Wallonie.' Organised by the Ministry of the Region Wallonie Patrimony, the public was assured of a journey full of discoveries, from Art Nouveau, Art Deco to contemporary architectural innovations.
The Four Faces of the Grand Curtius Museum
Containing one of the most prestigious assemblages of archaeological finds, art deco, weapons, glass, religious and Meuse Valley art, the Grand Curtius Museum is composed of four buildings, each representing an epoch. The oldest one is the late 16th century Curtius Palace (le Palais Curtius), characterised by brickwork and small barred windows, a model of Mosan architecture.
By the late 17th century, large bay windows that allowed more natural lighting became the trend, evident in the Haxhe (Houses of De Wilde & Brahy). With each passing year, architectural styles became more refined, as seen on the 18th century Neoclassic Hayme de Bomal building, with its layout, façades and elegant interiors.
Santiago Calatrava and La Gare TGV Liege-Guillemins
Anticipated to be one of the top crowd drawers is the groundbreaking Liege-Guillemins TGV Train Station, in the city of Liege. Designed by the world-renowned Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, the mammoth project took ten years to realise. Laurent Smitz, writing for Télépro magazine, says that Calatrava’s passion for art, architecture and engineering is manifested in the way he manipulated metal in his gravity-defying design of La Gare Liege-Guillemins.
Henri Leboutre, Liege Tourism office, explains how architecture veers toward metaphorical interpretation or representation of various objects. He says that architect Calatrava likens the shape of La Gare Liege-Guillemins to “an exceptional eye,” or “a flower petal,” or “the female form,” or something fluid in its motion, like “a wave on the surface of the sea.” Devoid of walls and façades, one gets the illusion that the 400m-long by 48m-high train station is floating in air.
According to Régine Kerzman, Liege Region keskispas magazine, the €312-million-Liege Guillemins TGV train station ushers in a new generation of railways, facilitating travel between European cities. It has also become Liege’s symbol of renaissance, of revival, as one of the most prestigious destinations on the planet, echoing its past glory, as host city of the 1905 World Exposition.
In closing, Leboutre adds that patrimony and modernity in architecture are interrelated, with fresh techniques superimposing the old, resulting to eclectic forms. As for Liege-Guillemins, he says that the main characteristic that connects Calatrava’s masterpiece with the designs of Old Masters like Liege’s very own Paul Jaspar and his Art Nouveau/Art Deco houses is luminosity, in their use of glass to provide natural lighting.
Calatrava’s other notable projects include the Bach de Roda bridge in Barcelona, Alamillo bridge, the Footbridge in Bilbao, and soon, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in Ground Zero, New York; the 600 metre high spiral-shaped Chicago Spire in Chicago, then back to Belgium in the year 2015, this time in the city of Mons, for another train station like no other.
Inauguration of La Gare Liege-Guillemins on RTBF
A spectacular sound and light inaugural show is set for Friday, the 18th of September, under the direction of M. Franco Dragone, with RTBF La Une diffusing its TV show, “C’est du belge,” live from Liege-Guillemins, at 20.20h.
The heritage weekend celebration, coordinated by Mme Nicole Plumier, with the guidance of M. Freddy Joris, General Administrator of ‘l’Institut de Patrimoine wallon,’ had also been possible through the support of the Council of Europe and the European Union, and the assistance of the Government of Wallonie, its service departments, offices of Tourism, Pro Velo asbl, the Communauté germanophone, Buildings Administration, Ethias and Base. Groupe TEC buses and trams provided free rides to all heritage site visitors.
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