Pont-à-Celles Cultural Center

Programme: The conversion of the former Arsenal railway hall in Pont-à-Celles transforms a remarkable piece of industrial heritage into an open and unifying cultural centre.

About: The conversion of the former Arsenal railway hall in Pont-à-Celles transforms a remarkable piece of industrial heritage into an open and unifying cultural centre. The project highlights the existing structure and its generous scale by building on the building’s original spatial qualities, whose raw character and monumentality now provide the setting for new cultural activities: performances, concerts, theatre, dance and civic gatherings.

The intervention adopts a sustainable approach based on the maximum reuse of the existing structure. Two compact wooden volumes, placed at each end of the hall, accommodate the technical and ancillary functions. This strategy frees the central nave and limits the impact of the transformation on the original structure, while establishing a clear dialogue between industrial heritage and contemporary architecture.

The performance hall and the agora — conceived as a large public foyer — offer bright and flexible spaces capable of evolving with changing uses. The project thus embodies a restrained and responsible conversion, where architectural quality, the memory of the place and sustainability reinforce one another.