The façade of a building is like a calling card. It has a lot to say to anyone who takes the time to look at it. It displays the period of its construction, the social ambition of the person who had it built, the talent of the architect who designed it and the skill and know-how of the craftsmen who worked on it. It also tells us about the function of the building behind it; was it a residence, a school, a shop? You simply have to spot the clues! However, as with a book, you should never judge a building by its cover, or in this case its façade, since it can sometimes borrow elements from other categories and mislead you.
In Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis, architectural creativity was deployed at breakneck speed on an incredible scale. In just 100 years, starting in 1860, the streets of the municipality saw the addition of a plethora of architectural forms, creating a giant patchwork quilt of styles.
Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised by the talkative, candid and proud façades as they tell you about the desires behind their construction. Featuring buildings ranging from bespoke properties to more modest structures, the exhibition will lead you from one corner of the municipality to the other, as in an open air museum.
Mainly consisting of pictorial representations, it will be accompanied by a booklet for visitors and an educational toolkit for teachers.
