The small town of Mons in Belgium has a turbulent past. In the Mons Memorial Museum by architect Pierre Hebbelinck, the light and dark sides of its history find architectural expression.
Buffer zone, border area, battlefield: Belgium has historically always been a crossroads of European history – and therefore also a stage for its often tragic chapters. This is particularly evident during a visit to the Mons Memorial Museum, which opened in 2015 and is located in the small town of Mons in the southern part of the country.
Pierre Hebbelinck from Liège was commissioned in 2011 to convert a historic industrial building into a museum dedicated to the history of the region. The brick, iron and glass waterworks is a typical witness to the economic boom that the Walloon region experienced during the industrialization process in the 19th century and had to be renovated and extended in line with the preservation order.
The architects opted for two wing extensions, whose exterior façades were painted white to clearly distinguish the new buildings from the existing ones. They clearly divided the functions between the three buildings, with the interior design of the individual rooms corresponding to the exhibition content: the windowless, oppressive rooms of the new buildings focus on the most dramatic chapters of local history – war, deportation, occupation – while the large hall of the old building is dedicated to liberation, democracy and freedom.
The view outside
The hall in the middle of the complex, glazed at the gable ends, serves as a transparent reception and catering area and is crossed by a 15-metre-long walkway. This connects the permanent exhibition in the left wing with the rooms for temporary exhibitions in the right wing.
The architects attached great importance to the lighting concept: in addition to the lighting, which is differentiated according to function, the historic glass fronts of the listed old building were also professionally refurbished to optimize the incidence of sunlight and improve the quality of stay for visitors to the café and bookshop. The large glass windows, which are divided by metal bars, were also renewed.
Open and closed
The closed nature of the extensions forms a contrast to the open and transparent existing building. A strategically placed aisle in the exhibition tour leads to an open space in the basement, whose brick-clad, monotonous red walls can be read as an architectural image of the tragic wartime past of the Mons region. There are also narrow windows that allow light into the interior like crevices in a rock, or provide a view to the outside at certain points: For example, to a war memorial at the crossroads or to important elements of the city’s history in the public space.
Photos: François Brix.
