Town Hall of Gembloux

Project Description

Gembloux, a medieval city located in the Wallonia region, is characterised by the presence of three significant historical buildings: the ancient bell tower called the Beffroi, the Église Décanale and the Maison du Bailly. The city launched a process of urban renewal and decided to involve the European authorities: in this sense the reconstruction of the town hall was intended as the starting point for the urban refurbishment of the entire city. The project underlines the importance of citylandmarks, as the direct extension of the new town hall building, modelled on their focal points. One of the key issues lies in the establishment of a clear relationship between the park and the city. The park becomes a meeting place for the inhabitants, while the new town hall is set up as a scenic vantage point from which a view opens up over the medieval core. The project is rooted in the ancient urban centre, with its maze of irregular and narrow streets, designed to achieve coherent integration with the existing urban fabric. The southern front of the building opens up entirely towards Parc d’Epinal, the central garden for the people of Gembloux. The specific points of view focused on the symbols of Gembloux divides the mass of the building into three smaller parts, adapted to the urban scale of the city and housing different functions. The resulting sections, covered with a copper cladding, take advantage of the various elevations of the project site and create an articulated sequence of public spaces that are complementary to each other. Between each of these blocks there are glazed diaphragms: empty spaces between solid building masses, transitional spaces from which the user can appreciate the surrounding townscape. In conclusion, the project seeks to establish a new centrality in the existing town and at the same time it can be seen as an example of urban improvement: the building engages in a dialogue with the city and in the end reveals the real character of the surroundings. The project resonates with the ancient voice of the city, also in terms of its materiality, and enters into a changing relationship that is influenced by the atmospheric and lighting conditions of the site.