SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH RECONVERSION PROJECT
Saint Joseph church Reconversion project
Integrated project work III Conservation project for a building and its urban or rural context Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KU Leuven
Coordinator: Prof. Prof. Barbara Van der Wee Professors and assistants: Prof. Barbara Van der Wee Prof. Krista De Jonge Prof. Luc Verpoest Prof. Thomas Coomans Prof. Koen Van Balen Prof. Paul Lievevrouw Prof. Cristian Oost Maarten Bassier PhD Natalie Dillon, student assistant Students: Evy Bouwen Jelena Perusinovic Lore Van Meerbeek Leuven, June 2016
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to our research and helped us to push our limits always a little further. To Lieve Demey, who was always stand-by to help us in the Church archive and open the church but also for the nice company and the critical observations. To Guido Vyncke, who was always prepared to help and share his opinion during the course of the project. To our professors, for their knowledge and opinions. To Maarten Bassier and Nathalie Dillon, for their help and patience in the cold and rainy days during the survey. To Dirk Middernacht and his colleagues from the community centre who helped us organising the ‘Open Day’. To Nadia Ortega, Camilla Ferri and Marie Permingeat, for the agreeable cooperation in the framework of their paper “ Conservation policies: seminar. Case study: Sint Jozefkerk, Ghent “. The project was a learning process, where we learned to work as a team and to persist in difficult and stressful times. But above all, we spent a great time together as friends and shared moments we will never forget.
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Abstract
The Roman Catholic Church always had a great influence on the Flemish landscape, known as the north part of Belgium. Churches, chapels, presbyteries, abbeys and convents are monumental witnesses of a shared, Christian past. Due to the secularisation from the 1960’s onwards, the strong bonds with these religious buildings started to fade. Today, only a small amount of the religious heritage is still used for religious purpose. Many buildings are abandoned and gradually lost their original function to gather people in a Christian frame. We are, because of this evolution, at a turning point in history. Communities all over the world are dealing with abandoned or minimally used religious heritage. The re-use of religious buildings is in this sense a challenge we have to meet and there are already numerous initiatives in various countries concerning this reconversion problematic. As students specialising in heritage conservation, working on the re-use of a church during our final project is a great opportunity. The case study is the neo-Gothic Saint-Joseph church, located in Ghent. The church will be deconsecrated in the beginning of 2017, therefore it will become an actual project in the near future. The general aim of the student research is to set-up a reconversion project to preserve and transmit this built heritage to next generations. The research consists of two major parts. The first part includes historical, urban, architectural, economical, legal and technical analysis, which is the basis for the value assessment of the church. The value assessment will be the guideline for the second part of the research, the proposal for the reconversion project. The proposal is a result of research expertise and community’s opinion on four possible scenarios we introduced in cooperation with stakeholders.
The reconversion of the Saint-Joseph church is a challenge for several reasons. The church is on the one hand designed as one, complete, piece of art and all elements are based on the same concepts of Reformed Gothic. On the other hand, the building is part of the industrial urban development of the nineteenth century city border. It was purposely placed in the middle of the urban plan as a tool to bind workmen to the neighbourhood and its textile factories. Today, both the exterior and the interior of the church are fully protected on national level and the protection should be conceived as an asset. Several migration waves through the past led to a multi-cultural mix we see today. Rabot is situated in the vicinity of the city centre, yet it is characterised as a poorerclass neighbourhood and calls for actions. With still available land, the area is attractive for new development. On-going urban renewal projects in the area initiated by the city will improve the living quality in the quarter, which are at the same time an opportunity for the future of the church. The fact that the inhabitants of the neighbourhood come from different backgrounds and religions, makes it challenging in terms of re-use. The wish of the owner of the church, the Church Fabric, is that, once again, the church becomes a place where different communities gather together. What will be the new function of the church depends on the needs of community. Therefore, active participation and involvement of people is crucial from the beginning– it is the only possible way to propose a feasible project that will serve the whole community and beyond.
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Team
Evy Bouwen graduated in 2013 as an architect at Henry Van De Velde Hogeschool in Antwerp. During a two year long internship at architecture and restoration office Architectuur Atelier, she gained experience in the field of restoration but mainly worked on renovation projects. She is interested in building archaeology, structural analysis of historic buildings, heritage management and graphical and photographic visualisation. For the IPW3 project work her focus was on urban and technical research, graphic work and photographic documentation.
Lore Van Meerbeek graduated in 2015 as architectural engineer at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and gained knowledge on heritage conservation through her master’s thesis on a heritage reconversion project and through an internship at Barbara Van Der Wee Architects. She has a strong interest in structural analysis of historic buildings, 3D visualisation, preventive conservation and heritage management. During the IPW3, she mostly focused on architectural and economic research, technical data analysis and heritage assessment.
Jelena Perusinovic graduated in 2014 as an architect from Vienna University of Technology. Through professional experience at TU Vienna and several architectural offices, she gained knowledge on mostly 19th and 20th century built heritage. Further, she is deeply interested in urban renewal as a driver for sustainable development, as well as digital production and communication. During the IPW3 her focus was on urban, social and economic aspects of St Joseph church, graphic works and video documentation.
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1 Introduction
1.1. Aims 1.2. Methodology 1.2.1. Research
1 3 3
3 1.2.2. Survey 4 1.2.3. On-site activities and initiatives 4 1.2.4. Reuse 5
1.3. Time management
2 Urban analysis
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2.1.
City of Ghent Macro
2.2.
Rabot within Ghent Meso
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2.3.
Church within Rabot Micro
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2.1.1. Historical overview 2.1.2. Current 2.1.3. Future 2.2.1. Past 2.2.2. Current 2.2.3. Future
2.3.1. Inauguration of St Joseph parish 2.3.2. Church: the navel of Rabot 2.3.3. Future
2.4. Conclusion
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Social analysis
3.1. Migration waves in the past 3.2. Current 3.3. Conclusion
17 17 25 31 33 44 49 55 55 57
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4 Architectural analysis
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4.1.1. Context 4.1.2. Involved persons and organisations 4.1.3. The parish Saint-Joseph 4.1.4. From design to building permission 4.1.5. From building permission to building 4.1.6. From past to present 4.1.8. Protection 4.1.7. Building phases
77 80 84 85 92 97 100 100
4.2. Current
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4.3. Conclusion
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4.1. Historical overview
4.2.1. Inventory 4.2.2. Comparison Religious buildings
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104 117
Table of content 5 Technical analysis 5.1. Survey
5.1.1. Aim 5.1.2. Tools 5.1.3. Results
123 125
125 125 127
5.2. Indoor climate
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5.3. Previous restorations 5.4. Material analysis
131 131
5.4.1. Material overview
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5.5. Pathology analysis
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5.2.1. HOBO-meter 5.2.2. Results 5.2.3. Interpretation 5.2.4. Future
5.5.1. Exterior 5.5.2. Interior
5.6.
State of conservation
5.6.1. Exterior 5.6.2. Interior
6 Economic analysis
6.1.
Current state in economic terms
6.1.1. Use 6.1.2. Ownership 6.1.3. Character
128 128 128 129
147 158 173 173
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6.2. Cultural significance
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6.2.1. Area 6.2.2. Cultural assets 6.2.3. Spatial integration 6.2.4. Statement of cultural significance
6.3.
Assessment economic values
6.3.1. (Non-) use values 6.3.2. Stakeholders 6.3.3. Impact on local authorities 6.3.4. SWOT analysis
179 179 182 186 187 188 190 190
6.4. Project evaluation
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6.5. Conclusion
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6.4.1. Scenarios 6.4.2. SWOT analysis 6.4.3. Multi-criteria analysis 6.4.4. Survey 6.4.5. Ranking of options 6.4.6. Final choice
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7 Masterplan
7.1. Heritage assessment 7.1.1. Values 7.1.2. Authenticity 7.1.3. Nara grid 7.1.4. Synthesis plans
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7.2. Reconversion
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7.3. Conclusion
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7.2.1. Intervention zones 7.2.2. Restoration advice 7.2.3. Programme 7.2.4. General requirements 7.2.5. Zoning 7.2.6. Conceptual proposal 7.2.7. Time management
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8 Reflection
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9 Annexes
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Glossary
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11 Bibliography
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12 List of figures
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13 List of tables
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8.1. Reflection 8.2. What’s next? 8.3. Thesis proposal
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1 Introduction
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Introduction
1.1. Aims The general aim of the student research is to preserve and transmit the St Joseph church to the next generation by proposing a reconversion project. To assess the value and the authenticity of the building, historical, urban, architectural, technical and economical analysis are conducted. Each analysis tries to answer some research questions in order to evaluate every topic in depth. The results of the analysis and the assessment are an important instrument during the reconversion research. The proposal will be a result of research expertise combined with community participation.
1.2. Methodology 1.2.1. Research
The conducted historical, urban, technical and architectural research is based on numerous site visits, the sources and works found in archives and online, and the extensive cooperation with experts and people with deeper knowledge about the church and
Fig. 1 < Learning to know the neighbours, 28 January 2016 Fig. 2 < Meeting with professor Thomas Coomans, 29 February 2016 Fig. 3 < Babbelsoup, 20 February 2016 Fig. 4 < Neighbourhood workshop on church reuse, 15 February 2016
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Rabot in general. From the beginning of the semester, Rabot became the focal area. Getting to know the neighbourhood, its inhabitants and the stakeholders through regular site visits were necessary for a complete understanding of cultural, social and economical assets of Rabot and the church as its central point of attraction. The city archive of Ghent, the library of the University of Ghent, KADOC, the Church archive of Saint-Joseph, STAM, KIK IRPA, the cadastre and many online documents contained comprehensive information on Rabot and the Saint-Joseph church and therefore support the overall research.
1.2.2. Survey
The technical survey aimed to collect all the necessary data to understand the complexity of a historic building, to be aware of the heritage values, to complete the missing parts and to present the actual state of conservation. 3D Data were extracted from the building with laser scanner, total station, photo camera and laser distance meter. The information of the survey was implemented in specialised software to produce correct technical plans, photo rectified pictures and 3D visualised objects.
1.2.3. On-site activities and initiatives
Rabot is a dense and lively neighbourhood with many activities and initiatives. In order to get acquainted with the neighbourhood we tried to participate as many activities as possible, most of them related to (the reconversion of) the church. Babbelsoep, workshop on the reuse of the church, stakeholder meetings, etc. were all Fig. 5 Discovering the neighbourhood with a Go Pro camera, 26 January 2016 Fig. 6 Use of the total station during the technical survey day, 18-02-2016 Fig. 7 Stakeholders meeting, 12 January 2016 Fig. 8 Open Day, 04 May 2016 Fig. 9 Open day teaser
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interesting events and gave insights about the social situation of the neighbourhood. The final activity organised by the team, the Open Day, was used to get to know the neighbourhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion on the reuse proposals.
1.2.4. Reuse
The reuse research is based on literature research, on-site visits, workshops with the stakeholders and a survey conducted at the Open Day. The participatory approach is very important whereas currently the church is disconnected from the neighbourhood. The cooperation with the students following the course â&#x20AC;&#x153;Conservation policiesâ&#x20AC;&#x153; was an asset to become additional information on the neighbourhood, the stakeholders and the church from a more tourist and leisure point of view.
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1.3. Time management The next chapter gives a schematic overview of the time management concerning the whole assignment. It attempts to give a more specific insight in the process, the visits done and the contacts made. But also the initiatives we attended and even organised. This next six pages are merely a summary of the logbook we made during the whole semester, and which is included in annex to this book. The following informations forms the legend necessary to read the calendar. Following pictures and figures are made by the group, unless stated otherwise.
Meeting with stakeholders
Archival visits Consults professors/assistants Initiatives and activities/ meeting neighbourhood Survey (Intermediate) presentations Fig. 10 â&#x20AC;&#x160; View towards the church from Wondelgemstraat
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neighbourhood walk
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Lunch @ ‘t Toreke with Lieve Demey
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Visit to the tower of the church
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Virtual walk through Ghent - Prof. Lievevrouw
©Google maps
SINT JOZEFKERK
Research and preparations
Site visit - Prof. Van Balen G03 | Sint Jozefkerk
Evy Bouwen Jelena Perusinovic Lore Van Meerbeek
IPW3 | RLICC KU Leuven | 2016
INTERMEDIATE PRESENTATION
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Consult plans - Prof. Van Der Wee and Prof. Bassier
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open day
©Camilla Ferri
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2 Urban analysis
Urban analysis
2.1. City of Ghent Macro This chapter aims to analyse the historic, current and future development of the city of Ghent (macro), Rabot within Ghent (meso) and St Joseph church (micro) within Rabot. At the same time, it aims to formulate answers on the following research questions: How have the areas evolved through time and more specifically, how did the church originate within the urban context? Are there similar housing developments within the 19th century city border? What are the important developments through time (in the future) and what was their impact on the Rabot neighbourhood? For whom and for which reason were these developments initiated? Chapter 2.1.1. Historical overview (except the paragraph Industry in Ghent) is written by Lui Tam, part of the group St Luke School of Art within the framework of integrated project work 3.
2.1.1. Historical overview
Origin (...-1200) Since over 70,000 years ago human activities have been present in the area where Ghent is located now. The valleys of two rivers the Scheldt and the Lys (Leie) surrounded by sandy ridges was a perfect landscape for human settlements. These landscapes can still be traced from some of the street or place names such as ‘berg’, ‘kouter’ and ‘donk’ referring to the uplands and ‘meers’, ‘gracht’ and ‘lei’ referring to the lowlands. Fig. 11 Ghent, Bing maps
During the Roman period, the area of Ghent was inhabited by two Celtic peoples, the Menapii to the north of the Scheldt and the Nervii to the south. The area to the east of where the Lys and the Scheldt meet was the most important residential area and trading post in the late Roman period, from which the early medieval city would develop. The name ‘Ghent’ comes from the Celtic word ‘Ganda’, which means the confluence or the mouth of a river, and which the area was named after.1 The early medieval city grew from four main areas of the city: The Blandijnberg, the ‘Ganda’, the ‘Portus Gandavum’ and the area on the other side of the river Lys around a fortress where the Counts’ Castle is now. The Blandijnberg is a hill between the river Scheldt on the east and the river Lys on the west side. The earliest human habitation evidence is from around 9600 BC. In the 7th century,2 the missionary Amandus converted the area to Christianity. He founded the Blandinium monastery, which became St Peter’s Abbey afterwards.3 ‘Ganda’, as mentioned above, was a trading post in the late Roman period. It is located to the east of the confluence of the Scheldt and the Lys. Amandus founded the future Ganda monastery, which later became 1
Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016 2 Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016 3 DECLERCQ, Georges, Ganda en Blandinium: de Gentse adbijen van Sint-Pieters en Sint-Baafs, Gent, Snoeck-Ducaju, 1997 STAD GENT, Onder het Sint-Pietersplein Gent, Gent, Snoeck, 2010
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the lands within the Portus, where taxes were charged to the residents. The two abbeys remained two of the richest monasteries in Flanders for centuries. Agricultural surpluses on both monastic domains have led to the development of the first medieval trading town in the late 9th and 10th centuries.6
St. Bavo’s Abbey.4 The community who lived in this area were involved in trading activities for the abbey. They traded at the service of the monks and sold agricultural goods of the abbey. These two abbeys play a crucial role in the development of Ghent. Both of them were founded by Amandus, who was a missionary from Aquitaine in the French region. His conversion work of the region was supported by the Merovingian King Dagobert I (ca. 603-649 AD).5 The two abbeys became very influential religious and economic centres in the region during the 9th and 10th centuries. They were important hubs for regional trades and provided privileges for long-distance trading for the merchants. They also owned 4
STAD GENT, Onder het Sint-Pietersplein Gent, Gent, Snoeck, 2010 DECLERCQ, Georges & LALEMAN Marie Cristine, Archeologie van de stedelijke ruimte. In: BOONE, Marc & Gita Deneckere, Gent. Stad van alle tijden, Gent, STAM, 2010, p.18-49 5 Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016
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In the late 9th century, the Vikings began to raid the Scheldt region. The monks of St Bavo’s abbey fled to France. The former inhabitants of Ganda, probably settled themselves half a kilometre up the Scheldt river and started a new trading post called ‘Portus Gandavum’. This walled area covers about six hectares closed to the Scheldt.7 This area later became the city centre of Gent, which is where St. Bavo’s Cathedral is. This area was occupied by the free traders who traded for their own account. Some of the wealthiest merchants separated themselves from the abbeys and bought the right to conduct free and independent land trading in the city. They were the earliest economic and political elites of the city. The trading activities at the portus were monitored by the Geeraard de Duivelsteen (Castle of Gerald the Devil) which is located at a strategic point between the port on the river Scheldt and St, Bavo’s Cathedral, which was the oldest town church St. John’s Church (949AD) dedicated to John Bavo and Vaast at that time.8 6
DECLERCQ, Georges & LALEMAN Marie Cristine, Archeologie van de stedelijke ruimte. In: BOONE, Marc & Gita Deneckere, Gent. Stad van alle tijden, Gent, STAM, 2010, p.18-49 LALEMAN, Marie Cristine, Gent: de ontwikkeling van een stad aan de samenloop van Leie en Schelde. In: DELIGNE Chloé & SOENS, Tim, Steden en water. Jaarboek voor ecologische geschiedenis 2010, Gent, 2011, p. 9-32 7 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Historische stadskern van Gent. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/140021 , accessed 28-05-2016 8 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Historische stadskern van Gent. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/140021 , acFig. 12 Origin of Ghent (basis map: Grootschalig Referentie Bestand Vlaanderen, AGIV) Fig. 13 St Bavo’s Abbey
The settlements spread across the river Lys in the mid-10th century. The one that grew around a fortress on the site of today’s Counts’ Castle in the 10th and 11th centuries merged with the ‘Portus Gandavum’. Around 1100, a second city wall was constructed around an area of 80ha.9 The ‘Houtlei’, which is now along the street of Outde Houtlei, was a canal dug as part of the second enclosure of the city in the second half of 12th century.10 The expansion of the city can also be followed according to the creation of new parishes: St. James in 1093, St. Michael in 1105 and Sint-Niklaas for 1120. However, there were also settlements outside of the city walls: neighbourhoods with a distinct urban status, noble courts with the surface and court, religious institutions with their dependent rural communities. Part of that medieval settlement was recorded in the late medieval ramparts.11 These four cores formed the basis of the early medieval town of Ghent. The traces of these four cores are still very much present in today’s urban structure. The Medieval Metropolis (1200-1600) Ghent developed between the 11th century and the late 13th century into one of the most important cities in North-West Europe. It inhabited a population of over 60,000 within an area of more than 644ha.12 The wool textile industry in Ghent was prosperous which created a big pre-industry working class cessed 28-05-2016 LALEMAN, Marie & STOOPS, G. , Ontwikkeling en verdediging in Gent. Een beknopt overzicht van de stadsarcheologische bijdrage ca. 9de-17de eeuw. In: VAN ROEYEN, J.-P., Uit Vlaamse bodem. 10 archeologische verhalen, Sint-Niklaas, 1996, p.120-140 10 BOUSSAUW, Kobe, City profile: Ghent, Belgium, CITIES · OCTOBER 2014, https://www.researchgate. net/publication/262195640_City_profile_Ghent_Belgium, accessed 27 May 2016 11 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Historische stadskern van Gent. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/140021 , accessed 28-05-2016 12 Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016 9
Fig. 14 City of Ghent 850
population, and a tradition of social strikes due to the grand base of working-class population. The textile industry employed more than half of the population. The city of Ghent had a very good relationship with England and Scotland, because of the textile industry development and wool import from the two. During the 1415th century, the city of Ghent sequentially rebelled against France, Burgundy, Austria. Ghent has been embedded with an identity of an autonomous city more than belonging to a country. Power was initially concentrated in the hands of an urban patrician class, an elite class of wealthy families descended from the first free traders. The patricians controlled the cloth trade and sat on the city council. They owned most of the lands in Ghent, where they lived in high, stone-built houses (stenen). There were more than two hundred such buildings in 13th century Ghent, as a symbol of the power and wealth of the bourgeois elites. The oldest stone houses are usually in the middle of a courtyard, while the town houses line the main streets and squares. The merchants were taking inspirations from the noble houses and fortifications. Most of the façades of these new houses have changed over time, but parts of
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the sidewalls and basement are more likely to be preserved.13 Around 1280, members of the crafts guilds began to resist the political and economic dominance of the elite class. Through a series of strikes and rebellions, they eventually managed to break this monopoly on power. The guilds won seats on the city council in 1302, enabling them to play an active role in municipal life. The immense importance of the Ghent textile industry meant that the weavers and fullers, as the most powerful professional groups, had particular influence over the city council. Assembly rooms for the city’s aldermen, the Belfry, the Cloth Hall and the headquarters of the crossbowmen’s Guild of St. George were built around Plaetse , which is now called Botermarkt. The square became the determining centre of political, economic and military power in Ghent. The unskilled and non-organised workers are the lowest class in the urban society.14 13 Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016 14 Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016
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During the late 14th century, the city was enlarged from an 80ha enclosure to a 644ha enclosure due to the expanding population.15 The city used the historic rivers as boundaries, and a new ring of the city wall was constructed. Around 1550, Ghent was inhabited by about 47,000 people, making it the third largest city in the Low Countries 16. Moreover, up to 1 mile outside of the city’s boundaries people were still governed under urban jurisdiction17. During the 16th century, the new fortification and the moats around the new city wall were dug making use of the existing river Scheldt and river Lys. It was repeatedly adapted to new martial techniques until the late 18th century: 15 BOONE, Marc & DENECKERE, Gita, Ghent. City of all times, Gent, Mercatorfonds/STAM, 2010 16 Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016 17 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Historische stadskern van Gent. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/140021 , accessed 28-05-2016 Fig. 15 City of Ghent 1274 Fig. 16 City of Ghent 1400
bastions and outer bastions replaced the old medieval defensive elements18. Traces of the shape of the fortification can still be seen in the shape of the moat at the southeast corner of the former enclosure, in the nowadays Franse Vaart area. In the wake of the 16th century, Charles V was born in Ghent in the Prinsenhof, and later he became the ‘King of the Romans’ (rule of the German kingdom) in 1519. Long before his rule, there were already numerous of rebellions against the authorities, and the city was mercilessly punished for it by different rulers, especially Charles V. Already in 1385 the Peace of Tournai was signed Burgundian Duke Philip II and the rebellious city of Ghent. This treaty of keeping the privileges of the city in the freedom of recognising the pope was announced null by Emperor Charles in order 18 CHARLES, Leen & LALEMAN, Marie Christine & CAPITEYN, André, Historische atlas van Gent. Een visie op verleden en toekomst, Amsterdam, SUN, 2007 Fig. 17 City of Ghent 1600 Fig. 18 City of Ghent 1778
to destroy the autonomy of the city. St Bavo’s Abbey was largely demolished and replaced by the New Castle. The Emperor Charles V and his successor Philip II also punished harshly the ‘heretical’ religious orders that emerged from the religious reform. A wave of iconoclasm broke out in Ghent on 22 August 1566. Churches, monasteries, chapels, and hospitals were sacked and works of religious art were destroyed. The ‘Iconoclastic Fury’ marked the beginning of a long political and religious struggle against Spanish and Catholic rule. The ‘Pacification of Ghent’ was signed at Ghent town hall in 1576 between Flanders, Brabant and Hainaut. The upheaval of conflicts in Ghent were far from finished. From the end of October 1577 to September 1584, Ghent was ruled by a hard-line revolutionary Calvinist government headed by Jan van Hembyze (1513-1584) and Frans van de Kethulle (c. 1531-1585), Lord of Ryhove.1 The Spanish governor Alexander Farnese (1545-1592) recaptured Ghent from the Calvinists in 1584. Thousands of Ghent Protestants emigrated north. The authority of King Philip II of Spain and the Catholic faith was restored in the city
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and across Southern Netherlands after 1585.19 The turbulence of the 16th century left Ghent a deep scar in its evolution and the city’s development was largely hindered. The city recovered slowly but would never again be among the most important cities in Europe ever since. The Unbowed City (1600-1800) By the beginning of 17th century, the population in Ghent was only 27,000. The city gradually recovered and by 1665 the population increased to 50,000 people. Ghent remained the capital of the County of Flanders and continued to play a leading role in the Southern Netherlands. During the 17th century, the Catholic faith regained its prominent position in the society. Ghent became the seat of the Diocese. According to the historical record, 10% of the city’s population were
clergies in 1650. In the meantime, the civil power was largely suppressed. Social relations went through significant changes during 16001800. A lot of traditional crafts guilds lost their political representation on the city council. However, they still played an important role in the society, for example, in the housing market. There had been some intense construction activities as the city kept developing. Although, the city did not get to expand outside of the late 14th-century city walls. As seen from historical maps, a large area on the west part and the north part remained rural until the end of the 18th century. The area to the east of St Peter’s Abbey remained the fields of the abbey as well. During early 18th century, the north part started to get filled up, but the east part did not become very much occupied until 1751, when the Coupure canal was dug to connect the new port ‘Brugespoort’ to the old port on the Lys.
19 Gent, STAM, Exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent”, curated since 2009, visited 1 March 2016
Fig. 19 The Coupure canal on the map of 1777
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The historical map shows that the area across the Coupure canal started to be occupied and in the coming century the Coupure canal had significant influence over the evolution of the morphology in this area. Industry in Ghent Ghentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history is characterised by a long tradition of high quality textile production since the Middle Ages. However, the 17th century shows a downturn in the textile economy due to outdated production methods and technologies. The 18th century and following industrial revolution play an important role and were a new chance for Ghent and the rest of Flanders. Partly automated machines allowed producing faster and stronger cotton. Therefore, the cotton industry was growing and about 23 times more cotton was imported. In a short period of time there were about 20 textile factories located in Belgium. Under the French influence, which stopped the import of English and Indian textiles, the significance of Ghent grew even more both on a national and international level. Yet, Ghent was partly struggling to compete with foreign factories.20 Moreover, it was difficult for factory owners to find adequate workers. In their search for employees they took over the poorest social classes, such as prisoners, homeless people, women and children (which were much cheaper than regular male working force). One of the aspects of industrialisation was high concentration of labour in the vicinity of the factories and the discipline of workers was important for better performance at work.
unaffordable. Industrial development resulted in prosperity and growth for Ghent, but the city was struggling to meet the needs within its medieval city borders and dense urban fabric with narrow streets, canals and bridges. The city was crammed. As hygienic conditions were low, diseases, death and plagues regularly scourged the city, affecting the population.22 Up until the nineteenth century the city adopted patent laws, levying taxes on goods that would be imported into or exported from the city. To implement this policy, the city focussed on the maintenance of strict city borders, keeping old gates and city walls intact. After the abolition of patent laws in 1860, factories had finally the possibility to settle outside the city borders. As such, industrial revolution had a big impact on Ghent as a whole and immensely changed the layout of the Wongelgemmeersen, the swampy area right outside the medieval city walls. By filling up waterways and old city borders, the city could now further expand.23 Industrial development also resulted in improvement of infrastructure, considering the roads, bridges, railways and ports. Good roads meant better economy, so this is why paving started. Water networks (canals) gained importance as well and were particularly convenient for transporting heavy loads. The port complex on the east of the Wondelgemmeersen was especially active and important for trade. The third important conveyance were railway systems. Railways were a product of industrialisation and steam powered trains were the invention of that period. The first active train in Belgium was running in 1835 between Brussels and Mechelen.24
People from the countryside were attracted to the prosperous life in the city and moved closer to the market, a movement that caused sudden population growth. Further, doubling of population meant high housing demands and poor living conditions.21 Small houses were densely built since every square meter was valuable as the rents were high and
22 DE KEYSER, Bart, De ingenieuze neogotiek 18521925. Techniek en kunst, Leuven, Davidsfonds Leuven en Universitaire Pers Leuven, 1997
20 DE WILDE, Bart, Gent/Rabot. De teloorgang van de textielnijverheid, Tielt, Lannoo, 2007, p. 12-16 21 DE WILDE, Bart, Gent/Rabot. De teloorgang van de textielnijverheid, Tielt, Lannoo, 2007, p. 16 - 19
23 DE WILDE, Bart, Gent/Rabot. De teloorgang van de textielnijverheid, Tielt, Lannoo, 2007, p. 19 24 DE KEYSER, Bart, De ingenieuze neogotiek 18521925. Techniek en kunst, Leuven, Davidsfonds Leuven en Universitaire Pers Leuven, 1997
23
The Regional Centre (1950-present) Ghent’s population reached around 160,000 in the first half of the 20th century. However, it started to decline in the 1960s as young families started moving out to newly developed and greener suburbs. In 1977, Ghent merged with ten peripheral municipalities. This new administrative area had over 250,000 residents. The population decline continued until 2000. However, the diversity of the population has increased since the 1960s. The urban decay was mostly due to the previous industrial transformation of the city. Large parts of Ghent were dominated in the 1950s and 60s by factories and run-down residential districts. In the late 1970s, the need to focus on urban regeneration became more and more evident, although it took almost 20 years for the regeneration to take effect. One of the biggest moves of banning cars from the city centre in the 1997 Mobility Plan was one of the many procedures taken to revive the city centre. During the last few decades, the city has developed into a regional centre for services, education, health, culture and recreation. Ghent has also become an important educational centre in Flanders, with more than 60,000 students in university and higher education. The presence of the university and colleges encourages the knowledge and cultural industries. The presence of a large number of students and young employees working in the city also altered the image of the city and the urban morphology. Student housing, working space for creative industries and the improvement of the public space in the city centre have been among the main focuses in urban policies.
Fig. 20 Gas factory along the Verbindingskanaal Fig. 21 Before damping of Lieve river, Rabot Fig. 22 Lieve river today, Rabot
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2.1.2. Current Since the industrial revolution the overall layout of the historic city and the periphery changed a lot. Due to the expansion of the city surface area, different vision, demands and needs were formulated in order to make qualitative growth possible in the future. The next chapter gives a short overview of past and current urban planning policies and how they became relevant in the urban development of Ghent. Spatial context of Ghent Concerning Ghent’s importance in the international context, the city is part of a bigger geographical entity linking south-east England along Flanders and the Ruhr area with northern Italy. Flanders, and the importance of Ghent within it, is considered as essential link in this European spatial-functional structure. Whereas Ghent, due to the importance of the canal Ghent-Terneuzen, is seen as pawn in the network of important seaports forming the spine of the spatial-economic structure of the BENELUX-Delta.25 As part of the “Vlaamse Ruit”, Ghent (being located at the intersection of different interconnecting roads, both roadways and rail traffic), actuates direct connections with other urban centres within the country. But also its port function, seen as the engine for industrial development of the city, emphasizes this central position. Being part of the BENELUXDelta, the port of Ghent belongs to the biggest port network in the world.26 Context urban policy of Ghent Due to the city’s versatility and multi-perspective vision, its overall profile is rather unclear. At first, being part of the “Vlaamse Ruit”, Ghent presents itself as an art city. An asset even more reinforced by the city’s connection with 25 STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Informatief gedeelte, Gent, 2002, p. 6 26 STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Informatief gedeelte, Gent, 2002, p. 7 Fig. 23 Ghent position in Europe Fig. 24 Ghent position in Benelux
25
other notable arts centres. Also the presence of renowned universities and research centres make the city a leading educational centre. A third asset is its function as important industrial city mainly guided by its port function on international level.27 Therefore, in this multiperspective context, a clear vision and general administration is essential in coordinating future development of the city. Around the end of the 1970s, structural planning was seen as the new planning methodology to organise and structure development visions for the city. Shortly after that, around 1982, a first proposal for a ‘ontwerpstructuurplan’ (design structural plan) was made. This format would form the basis for the content of the actual structural plan worked out by 1984. Even though this approach seemed quite promising, the document only had limited impact in practice. With the establishment of the ‘Ruimtelijke Ontwikkelingsstructuur’28 27 STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Informatief gedeelte, Gent, 2002, p. 7 28 ‘Ruimtelijke Ontwikkelingsstructuur’ will hereafter be
26
around 1993, the city attempted to analyse and update previous plans and studies. Therefore, ROS formed a legal framework from which planning decisions and actions could be carried out.29 The concept of ROS focussed on Ghent as regional centre, meaning a complete and compact city by densification of housing, diversification and optimisation of the economic structure, increasing overall quality of life, safeguarding green and open spaces within the city, etc. Although the vision was rather easily accepted, the policy itself was perceived too vague, not supportive enough in its implementation and therefore not leading to direct or goal-oriented actions.30 referred to as ‘ROS’ 29 STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Informatief gedeelte., Gent, 2002, p. 36 30 STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Informatief gedeelte., Gent, 2002, p. 37 Fig. 25 Ghent position in Flanders
With these rather unsuccessful planning intentions came the awareness that a global vision for Ghent was necessary. A vision in which sustainable development should be the aim by taking the needs of current generations into account without endangering those of the future generations. Ghent needed a long-term vision in which spatial quality above all should be the aim. Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent The ‘Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent’31, operative since 2003, prescribes the environmental policy for the city of Ghent and delineates how both the vitality and spatial development of the city can be structured and governed.32 The RSG is constituted as legal framework for all current and future projects to be drawn up for the city, whereby every intervention should answer to the global vision for Ghent. It contains guidelines for bigger structures and arrangements within the city and not so much single plots or small-scale interventions.33 Ghent is subdivided in three regions, stemming from its urban past and development. The core, or ‘binnenstad’ is known as the iconic historic city centre that functions as cultural trade and service centre. It is the historic medieval pattern of small streets and winding roads that characterises this part of the city. The second region, in Dutch called ‘kernstad’, contains the ‘binnenstad’ and its surrounding 19th century border. These former working-class areas represent the city’s industrial past and are 31 ‘Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent’ will be referred to as “RSG” hereafter. The RSG as referred to in the text answers to the 2003 version of the ‘Structuurplan’, the summarizing brochure and the alterations made until 2008. 32 “Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent - Ruimte voor Gent”, https://stad.gent/over-gent-en-het-stadsbestuur/stadsbestuur/wat-doet-het-bestuur/uitvoering-van-het-beleid/ruimtelijke-ordening/ruimtelijkstructuurplan-gent-ruimte-voor-gent, accessed 16 May 2016 33 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 7 Fig. 26 Three regions of Ghent: the inner city, the core city and the urban agglomeration
constituted of compact, small-scale housing. As a third region, the ‘randstad’ indicates the periphery with its open landscape and alternating residential precincts. The overall city is known to be versatile in terms of activity, trade and business.34 Knowing this background and taking the city’s multiple intentions into account, the aim is to profile Ghent as a historic, residential city with a status of prominent educational and cultural centre. Furthermore, the city endeavours to focus on societal evolutions: changing living and housing trends, the need for extra business infrastructure and growing demand for leisure activities.35 The spatial concept and vision for the city is structured around six main guidelines: »» »» »»
Future development in line with historic development model; City is characterised by four main residential areas around the city centre; Main roads interconnecting
34 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 10-12 35 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 13-14
27
»» »» »» »»
residential areas with the city centre These roads constitute the spine of the overall city structure and contain supporting infrastructure; Well-considered distribution of economic functions; Green structure for each residential area; Defining the urban landscape
Concerning the implementation of the policy in practice, RSG is expressed through 6 spatial themes: housing, green space, traffic and transport, space for entrepreneurship, culture and leisure and structural landscape. Ghent as a living city The compact historic city centre should maintain its prominent housing function. Therefore, the existing offer of housing should be protected, promoted and increased according to growing demand. The focus, amongst others, is to bring back the residential function above shops, whereas these spaces are currently not in use or used as storage space. Besides that, integration of housing in bigger ensembles together with offices, services and infrastructure will be the aim.
28
During the last few years, urban renewal projects characterise the redevelopment of the nineteenth century city border. These former working-class areas, characterised by compact, small-scale housing in poor conditions, will be subject of revitalisation measures: remodelling of the quarters, attractive living environment, better quality of life, etc. The amount of housing will remain the same even though several parts will be redeveloped to bring back green areas and open space. The residential precincts in the ‘randstad’ will be expanded and the amount of housing will increase. As such, the residential areas between ‘kernstad’ and the open, green landscape outside the city will be densified.36
36 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 20-23 Fig. 27 Ghent as a living city Fig. 28 Green Ghent
Green Ghent For the city of Ghent both open space and green are important issues in developing the city. Green can be present in different shapes and configurations and plays an important recreational role. To answer to this spatial theme: the city will expand the total surface of green within the city, implement four green poles within the city and increase the coherence of all green structures. The focus on green in the city does not necessarily mean bringing more green to the city. The aim is to improve the existing green structures and increase their mutual coherence and interconnection. Therefore the city implements a ‘standstill’ to make sure the amount of green yet present will remain the minimum. The latter implicates that green areas that will disappear due to new development, will be compensated by bringing back similar green on another location.37 37 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar Fig. 29 Ghent mobility Fig. 30 Ghent and business
Ghent mobility The RSG directs the link between spatial development and mobility. Above all the city should be easy, good and ready to access by all different kinds of users (pedestrians, bikes, cars, …). To ensure these practical connections the city conducts a sustainable mobility policy in organising different flows of traffic within the city. Main focal points are: space for pedestrians, network of bicycle routes, public transport, car traffic and car parking policy.38 Ghent and business Successful economic activity is the engine of society and welfare by providing employment and other economic actions linked to it. In stimulating the economy, the city of Ghent strives for an effective use of existing and new businesses and properties, good integration of economic activities in the urban city fabric and overall good accessibility (linked to the mobility plan).39 een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 24-25 38 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 28-31 39 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar
29
Culture and leisure for Ghent In their aim to organise culture and leisure within the city, the strategy focusses on the creation of activities in clusters such as sports, horeca and shops.. All clusters contain activities that supplement or support one another and focus on similar audience. Again accessibility and good organisation of the clusters is primordial (linked to the mobility plan). The RSG provides several clusters such as cultural cluster in the historic city centre (‘binnenstad’), event cluster in the green city border, sports cluster, four green poles, green axes in the city and parks/ recreational space.40 Structural landscape The city consists of three different ‘landscapes’: city landscape, port landscape and open landscape. Concerning the city landscape, RSG describes that new development should be adapted to historic city fabric in terms of scale and should have mixed function. The een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 32 40 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 36-39
30
architecture should be modern and of high quality. The open landscape is there to be maintained to counterbalance the dense, build city. As a third, the overall quality of the port landscape should be increased. Existing industrial and historic buildings will be maintained and get a new interpretation.41 In the RSG the ‘kernstad’ or nineteenth century border in which the Rabot area is located, is indicated as a central and historically important city section. A section in which housing, services, education, business and industry are interwoven and harmoniously coincide. The main aim of the city is an intense renewal and deintensification of neighbourhoods by implementing urban renewal projects. These projects propose mixed use developments combined with green structures to make compact and dense areas more lively. 41 STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010, p. 40-43 Fig. 31 Culture and leisure for Ghent Fig. 32 Structural landscape
2.1.3. Future Currently, the city of Ghent is working on ‘Ruimte voor Gent - structuurvisie 2030’, a new document to elaborate the city’s policy outline until 2030 by devising the desired spatial structure for the city in the future.42 By monitoring and analysing the existing RSG and its implementation, it is clear that the underlying visions and intentions are still very up to date. Revising parts of the current policy however is necessary to clarify or renew several insights and to question interventions carried out in the past. The result of the study is the renewed structural plan ‘Ruimte voor Gent structuurvisie 2030’.43
elaboration. Ten years ago it was more in terms of lines of policy the city had to make a statement. As such, the RSG turned out to be a successful policy to organise the coherence and quality of the spatial arrangement of Ghent. Since adopting the policy in 2003 the city’s urban space improved a lot according to the aims. However, looking back twenty years ago the context became more broad and complex nowadays. ‘Ruimte voor Gent structuurvisie 2030’ therefore originates from a more vast and multidimensional approach.45 45 STAD GENT, Ruimte voor Gent- Structuurvisie 2030. Synthesenota – versie i.f.v. kennisneming college ok-
In the ever changing society, leading to changing trends and growing needs, the city will in the nearby future be confronted with a few important societal challenges. These challenges will be subject of the continuing study to improve and actualise the current strategy. Liveability, climate, demography, mobility and economy will be dealt with in the perspective of Ghent in the future. As they were already part of the intentions for RSG they will be studied more in depth to answer the societal evolutions.44 As the 2003 RSG focussed more on spatial organisation of the city, ‘structuurvisie 2030’ aims to target mostly the city’s residents, and obtain a stronger people-oriented policy 42 “Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent - Ruimte voor Gent”, https://stad.gent/over-gent-en-het-stadsbestuur/ stadsbestuur/wat-doet-het-bestuur/uitvoering-van-het-beleid/ruimtelijke-ordening/ruimtelijkstructuurplan-gent-ruimte-voor-gent, accessed 16-052016 43 STAD GENT, Ruimte voor Gent- Structuurvisie 2030. Synthesenota – versie i.f.v. kennisneming college oktober 2015., Gent, 2015, p.3 44 STAD GENT, Ruimte voor Gent- Structuurvisie 2030. Synthesenota – versie i.f.v. kennisneming college oktober 2015., Gent, 2015, p.13 Fig. 33 Keizerpark Ledeberg Fig. 34 Nieuwe molens before Tondelier project Fig. 35 Boerenhof collective gardening, Rabot
31
2.2. Rabot within Ghent
Meso
2.2.1. Past
Evolution of the Wondelgemmeersen The present Rabot area was originally part of the greater ‘Wondelgemmeersen’ area in the north of Ghent. This fallow and extremely humid piece of land was situated outside the city’s medieval city walls and was mainly used for rural purpose and for keeping animals. The first canal in the area, the 45 km long ‘Lieve’, was dug already in 13th century and there were nine ‘rabotten’ or sluices built to regulate its water levels coming to the city. Same ‘rabotten’ played an important role in the defence of the city in the Middle Ages. The relics are two connected towers from 15th century that span the Lieve canal. In 16th century, the defence of the city improved sluices to prevent reconquering from the Spanish King Filips II. In the 17th century, the western canal, Brugse Vaart was completed and served as a main connection with Bruges. It was also forming the western border of the former Wondelgemmeersen and started to become a more attractive and developed area. The northern border of Rabot is defined by the Verbindingsvaart, dug around 1863. First changes of the meersen happened in the end of 18th century, after the French Revolution. The former rural land would be turned into a housing quarter for poor people. Because the land was cheap, wealthier civilians were able to gradually buy off the land.46 Industry and urban plan of Rabot The industry was relocating towards the outskirts of the historic city and settled outside the medieval city borders. The choice of (re) tober 2015., Gent, 2015, p.29 46 DE WILDE, Bart, Gent/Rabot. De teloorgang van de textielnijverheid, Tielt, Lannoo, 2007 Fig. 36 Tondelier site with urban gardens Fig. 37 >> Evolution of Rabot with neighbouring areas
location depended much on the presence of water as an important medium for transport and supply of raw materials, to export products easier and to reduce transport costs. In that sense, Rabot was more than appropriate for such activities being vacant land with optimal location for transport and sewage reasons due to the presence of waterways. New infrastructure and development visibly changed the layout of Rabot. In 1872, a new train station was built on the southern border of Rabot for industrial purpose of transporting goods and materials. The former Rabot station was located on the plot where nowadays Palace of Justice stands. But even before the new train station was put in place, several large textile factories already settled in Rabot. Some of them were later bought off by Felix de Hemptinne and included in his factory complex. Until 1860, before the abolition of patent laws, the land outside the medieval city walls was characterised as rural landscape. Unlike the typical 19th century urbanisation in other districts around Ghent, the development of the Wondelgemmeersen was systematically planned. Key elements for the new urban plan consisted of the construction of wide boulevards, realisation of the ‘Verbindingsvaart’, displacement of the cemetery to further outskirts, providing a train station for trade purpose and dismantling St. Elisabeth beguinage.47 The industrial village One of the most important factors for manufacturers was to keep the workforces close and bind them to the factories. Therefore, factory owners would not only provide the infrastructure for the factory but also necessary residential properties for the workers. In that sense the workers were permanently present on the industrial site making the system of working in shifts and working nights possible. What the industrial village meant in this sense is, indeed, unifying factory and workers 47 DE WILDE, Bart, Gent/Rabot. De teloorgang van de textielnijverheid, Tielt, Lannoo, 2007
33
1796 »» Wondelgemmeersen, fallow land outside medieval city walls
34
1878 »» Urban development Rabot »» 1827 digging of canal Ghent - Terneuzen »» 1860 abolition of patent laws »» 1863 digging of Verbindingsvaart »» 1872 Rabot station
1912 »» Continuation of industrialisation and further development Port
1972 »» Diminishing of industry - city is changing: new urban vision »» Removal of the cemetery
2016 Current situation
35
housing so employees would work close to home. A brilliant example of such village is still present nowadays near Bergen (Belgium), the ‘Grand Hornu’. In general, living conditions were not admirable as land speculators made the rents extremely expensive. With diseases and dead constantly threatening the quarters, the industrials and engineers started looking for alternatives. That is why French utopist Charles Fourier (1772-1837) proposed the organisation of workers in smaller communities. While retaining the ownership rights on their properties, people would take better care of their belongings which would automatically dispel the imminent social problem. This idea was crucial for the planning of a healthier, more modern workers’ housing as it is also the case of Rabot where the manufacturers divided the plots and sold them to workers to build private houses.48 Development of the area around Rabot: Urbanisations and housing typologies
Southern, more rural Sint-Pieters-Aalst and Aaigem were among the first urbanised districts. Here, the neighbourhood developed into a residential one with an open tone. Districts such as Ledeberg, Gentbrugge and Sint-Amandsberg developed into typical suburbs already in 1860. The rest continued to have a rural character until the end of 19th century. Following paragraphs give an overview of districts in the suburbs of Ghent with similar industrial character that influenced the development of Rabot.49 Harbour Docks and Canal The area is located on the northern border of the old city walls, next to the entrance gate. It was rural and had numerous mills until further development later in 19th and 20th centuries. Digging the Ghent-Terneuzen canal was important for the industrial development of the city.50 Dampoort Dampoort was originally part of the former Saint Bavo Village, surrounded by the Reed Canal and reinforced by two gates, Spitael Gate and Gate Dendermonde. Due to rapid growth and expansion of the Dampoort and the neighbouring Oostakker, Sint-Amandsberg in the second half of the 19th century, the latter became an independent municipality in 1872. Apart from typical workers houses, there were several factories located in the area, mostly along the Dendermondsesteenweg. Today, this is an important traffic hub in the ‘Antwerpenplein’ by the confluence of the Antwerpse- and Dendermondsesteenweg and the Land of Waas Avenue.51
The most notable intervention that would define the future development of Ghent occurred after digging the canal between Ghent and Terneuzen (nowadays southern Dutch coast) in 1827. The port started expanding from 1880. As mentioned earlier, industrialisation and population growth resulted in strong urban development, especially outside the old city walls. From the 1860s factories started taking over the cheap, vacant land in the north, east and west of the city, as much as possible. For workers, that meant moving closer to the factories, or to the periphery. This resulted in completely new quarters near Rabot and the Verbindingsvaart. Many areas around Ghent between 1900 and 1960 were added to the city’s outline due to necessary expansion of the port and water canals. These actions meant Ghent gained additional 3761 hectares of land, of which 2200 hectares spread along the canal were characterised as industrial landscape. Later, in 1977, Ghent merged with all ten surrounding municipalities.
49 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 50 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 51 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19de-
48 DE KEYSER, Bart, De ingenieuze neogotiek 18521925. Techniek en kunst, Leuven, Davidsfonds Leuven en Universitaire Pers Leuven, 1997
Fig. 38 Borders of neighbourhoods of Voorhaven, Langerbrugge and Beguinage&Prinsenhof
36
e g g ru er b g n La Voorhaven
Beguinage & Prinsenhof
37
em Rooig gem Ekker
rt
poo
Dam
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Heirnis District Heirnis district, until the end of the 19th century also called “Heirnis Meersen”, was traditionally divided into two parts by the old Reed Canal (the border between Ghent and Sint-Amandsberg), in the Small (east) and Big Heirnis (west). Here, the neighbourhood is characterised by small town houses, social housing groups and beluiken of neoclassical style designed by the architect J.G. Semeij for Ghent Public Building Society. Social housing groups are mainly in the streets, whereas the so-called villas in eclectic style are situated along the Vlaamse Kaai.52 Ekkergem The urbanisation of this neighbourhood was initiated by damping the ramparts in 1860 and the creation of wide boulevards (Martelaarslaan, Antonius Triest Avenue and end Were, 1864). Important was the establishment of the boys’ orphanage between 1869 and 1873. This orphanage concerns a huge complex designed by city architect A. Pauli, built on the Martelaarslaan. In 1952 the island Malem was urbanised and a social housing complex was built. The surrounded elevated areas provided for social high-rise buildings, detailed landscaping and recreation facilities.53 Brugsepoort and Rooigem Brugsepoort includes the western part of the en 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 52 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 53 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 Fig. 39 < Densely developed neighbourhoods of Roigeem, Ekkergem and Dampoort Fig. 40 >> Former Wondelgemmeersen is divided in Verbindingsvaart and Rabot after digging the Verbindingscanal Fig. 41 >> Typology workers’ housing in Rabot
city between the Brugsevaart (1613-1625) and the Bourgoyen (Drongen). The district developed rapidly through the establishment of key industries. In 1838, the factory ‘Sociéte Linière La Lys’ was built on the island between the two canals that connect the Lys with the Denomination and Brugsevaart, on the southern border of the district. This was a major attraction for the working population and a stimulus for the urbanisation of the area. In terms of housing typology, it was a typical proletarian neighbourhood with townhouses and numerous beluiken. Between 1860 and 1866 St. John Baptist parish church was built on the Emilius Seghersplein with the street network expanding around it. Around the turn of the century numerous large companies settled in the area, mainly in the vicinity of the Brugsevaart. Most companies today have a new function or were demolished.54 The cemetery and the Verbindingsvaart The area is surrounded by the outer harbour on the east, Verbindingsvaart on the south and the Brugsevaart on the west, which led Rabot to grow into an industrial area together with a proletarian neighbourhood. In 1907 the main road, Frans van Ryhovelaan, along with the 1910 Francisco Ferrer Avenue were the centre of the neighbourhood, around which the labourers settled.55 Rabot Until the middle of the 19th century this was a swampy, uninhabited area, a portion of the Wondelgemmeersen north of the 16th-century fortifications near the fortified tower-gate ‘Rabot’. The actual urbanisation, however, began only after 1860 with drying out the ramparts at the Beguine Avenue and Blaisantvest and excavation of the Verbindingsvaart canal in 1863 (west-east), between Brugsevaart and in 1827 deepened 54 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 55 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016
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Sasse Channel, the current Ghent-Terneuzen. The urbanisation started on the initiative of textile manufacturers, the brothers De Smet from 1872 until 1875. The Gasmeterlaan was defined along the Verbindingsvaart (1877) and the Rabot Station provided on the ring railway (1872). The displacement of the gas plant in 1880 from the western to the eastern corner of the Gasmeterlaan brought some changes to the grid. New streets were opened in the 1880s (the current Watervliet-, Kaprijke- and Oosteeklo Street) with small workers’ houses. The main street has a primarily traffic and commercial function.56 Architecture typology of 19th and early 20th century in Ghent Religious architecture The Ghent city area, next to some rural villages, was affected by 19th and 20th century drastic urban expansion as neighbourhoods arose along new roads and industrial sites. Religious architecture had lost its importance in the evolution of architecture since the 19th century, in favour of the civil architecture. However, most churches dating from the late 19th and early 20th century are built in neoGothic style. In most newly developed districts in 19th century, neo-Gothic parish churches had primary school attached to it. St Joseph’s Church, designed by architect Auguste Van Assche (1880-1883), acquired a special status by the shift from the building mass from west to east: the choir was conceived as halt church. Public buildings Public buildings were still quite rare in the city. Apart from schools, it is worth mentioning the Museum of Fine Arts (1900-1904) in the Citadel Park. It is not an innovative structure but rather in line with neoclassical museum buildings like 56 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 Fig. 42 Housing typology typical for Tuinwijk in Harbour, Docks and Canal quarters Fig. 43 Example of unified workers houses in Rabot Fig. 44 Housing typology visible in Prinsenhof
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those in all major cities of the continent from the same period. Private buildings Until the mid-19th century, small townhouses without any particular style emerged along ancient roads. They represent the growth of the suburban area under the influence of industrial development. Sudden population growth called for high demand for housing, therefore the new housing architecture was rather simple and uniformed. Boulevards were reserved for more representative houses, which were built in neoclassical style. Detailed façades with balconies, bay windows and decorative ironwork would enhance the elegance of 19th century architecture. The neoclassical style used brick and stone for façade facings. The same building material was also used for less frequent individual homes in neo-Gothic style.57 Beluiken Urban development of workers’ housing followed the industrial expansion of the city. Manufacturers were mostly responsible for the urbanisation of areas around their factories and would provide the new social class, the proletariat, with so-called ‘beluiken’. Dead-end streets and rows of working-class houses were normally built on worthless land parcelled out by the wealthier class, or as in the last second half of 19th century, by manufacturers. Narrow, two storeys houses with mirrored floor plans were grouped into continuous façades. A good example of such intensive urbanisation is Rabot. The concentration of beluiken is the highest in the suburbs, around the new factories the Muide, Wondelgemmeersen, Rabot, the Bruges Gate and around the Dampoort and Brusselsepoort. Beluiken are today considered as small row houses. 57 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 Fig. 45 Social housing block typical for Verbindingsvaart Fig. 46 Social apartment block in garden cities
Social housing and garden cities An important step in public housing policy was taken with the establishment of ‘Gent Society of Workers Houses’ in 1904. The main shareholders were the City of Ghent and the ‘Bureel for Charity’. The company would build and lease of low-cost housing for the working class. First such project were twenty townhouses in Willow Street (Rabot) established to design of city architect Ch. Van Rysselberghe, who remained working for society until 1919. He also took the first initiative to build apartment buildings to solve the problem of housing shortage, or he grouped a number of buildings in accordance with a floor plan with certain urban quality. The architect improved the
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quality of 19th century working-class housing by paying more attention to both, outside appearance and the comfort of the interior.58
2.2.2. Current Rabot area covers “the triangle” on the northwest border of Ghent. It is located right outside the old city walls in the industrial zone of the city. The ‘Gebroeders De Smetstraat’, ‘IJskelderstraat’ and ‘Wondelgemstraat’ form the north-south gradient principal axes are connected to numerous side streets.59 Historical evolution of the site had an important impact on what the neighbourhood is today. Today’s biggest points of attraction and influence towards the city are the University campus Odisee and the Palace of Justice, both situated on the bottom border of Rabot and the historic city centre. On the north and west, two canals, Brugsevaart and Verbindingskanaal, define the quarter. Tondelier urban garden, located on the north of the Palace of Justice, is a temporary configuration used by the local population before the new development takes over the site. The contamination of the soil was the most important reason that hindered future development of the area. There are two other green areas in Rabot: Rabot park and one located in the western part. The heart of Rabot is a dense, concentrated working-class housing area developed on a planned, strict grid. Houses are narrow and small and face limitations in terms of extending and adapting to the potential needs. The Saint Joseph church plays an important role with its central location, constituting the symbolic navel of the neighbourhood. Although it is a poorer, yet vibrant neighbourhood, Rabot represents an interesting mix of history, cultures and lifestyles.
58 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016 59 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Gent - 19deen 20ste-eeuwse stadsuitbreiding. In: Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/122211 , accessed 21 March 2016
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Spatial extents/distribution The function plan shows zones of different activities within the neighbourhood and how these communicate with each other, but also how they relate to the city centre. The first impression readable from the plan is a densely built environment with tiny housing plots on a strict, carefully planned grid. Bigger structures are located mostly in the “buffer zone”, on the borders of Rabot. Those buildings, with mostly public functions, such as the educational or the governmental institutions, are connecting neighbouring areas, thereby making Rabot an active, multi-purpose quarter. Rabot is therefore not only seen as a living neighbourhood. The main street, Wondelgemstraat, as the most vibrant part of the community, partly serves as a “bridge” between the old city centre and the suburbs, but also as concentrated commercial point of Rabot. In this street, with the strong note on foreign products and way of trading, rather low-cost shops, food markets, small fast food shops and bakeries, prevail. Colourful shop fronts, busy roads and presence of local inhabitants are giving a particularly lively atmosphere there. Other commercial activities in the close vicinity of the site are located in the developed industrial area on the north, on the other side of the Wondelgemmeersen, and on the opposite side, on the western border, next to the Brugsevaart canal. As mentioned earlier, public buildings of bigger proportions, such as the Odisee campus or Palace of Justice, are at the same time connecting Rabot to the city centre and are serving as a buffer from the dense housing fabric. Culture-related functions are spread on various locations and include social restaurant ‘t Toreke which attracts a wider public, community centre, Tondelier temporary ‘urban garden’ and several religious objects in and around Rabot. Fig. 47 Housing typology in Rabot Fig. 48 >> Function diagram Fig. 49 >> Public private spaces diagram
Public institutions Commerce Culture Industry Tourism & leisure Religious institutions Housing
Function diagram
PUBLIC TRANSPORT Public buildings Private (housing) Public green space
Public - private space diagram
Green spaces When on site, one does not necessarily experience strong presence of nature in Rabot, although, when looking on the map it is clear that bigger green zones ‘interrupt’ the built environment. These green spaces are carefully planned within the borders of existing plots and are rather ‘new’ as part of the last phase of Ghent’s urban development programme. This as well includes improvement of existing densely built areas through green spaces. The ‘buffer zone’ of the heart of Rabot is surrounded either by canals (north and west) or parks and urban gardens (south, east). Another ‘buffer’ can be seen through the tram route that constitutes the southern border of the neighbourhood and that in the western part divides the built environment. Buses are running through the Wondelgemstraat with the stop right in front of the Saint Joseph church, which could be used as an asset for the proposal of the reuse project.
2.2.3. Future With the decline of the textile industry, the whole Rabot quarter became partly neglected and unoccupied. First newer development started only in the nineties with the construction of the Palace of Justice on the plot of the former Rabot train station. The so-called buffer zone surrounding the core, being the church with dense housing blocks, introduced largescale interventions to the site: Palace of Justice and Odisee university campus on the south and recycling park, the Telecom company
Fig. 50 Overview of the sub-projects of ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ Fig. 51 Design for the extension of the Rabot park with an additional area of 2,6ha Fig. 52 Planned urban renewal project for Rabot Towers by POLO architects Fig. 53 Renovation and rehabilitation of the former mill factory into Tondelier development project Fig. 54 < St Joseph church seen from the Maria-Theresia street
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borders of the district and its industrial past will be incorporated in the project.61 A few of the sub-projects of the ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ urban renewal strategy are the construction of the new ‘Tondelier’ area, the demolition of the social tower blocks Rabot and replacement with new residential development and the final expansion of the Rabot park.62
and dancing school on the east.60 Today, the interest for Rabot is growing. The vicinity of the city centre, the compact size, the plan and available land make the district attractive for new development. Following paragraphs are a brief introduction in the projects most significant for the impact they might have on Rabot, and therefore the Saint Joseph church. Bruggen naar Rabot With a series of urban renewal projects focussing on the quarters in the nineteenth century border of Ghent, the city government wants to boost the future development of the city. These quarters came into existence during the industrial revolution and were largely developed as worker’s villages in close relation to the factories. The urban project ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ ‘s main ambition is the interconnection of the area with the historic centre and the north part of the city. Main focal points of the programme are the improvement of quality of housing for residents, social fabric, public domain, public green and open spaces. The presence of the water as natural 60 DE SMET, Aurelie, Temporariness as a laboratory for the future, the case of ‘De Site’ Ghent_paper U&U 2011, CONFERENCE PAPER, OCTOBER 2011, p.3
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Rabot Towers The city of Ghent’s ‘Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan 164 - Wonen aan het Rabot’63 refers to the planning area of the nineteenth century border of Rabot with the historical centre. In the context of the urban renewal project ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’, the social tower blocks Rabot are being demolished. In 2009, the feasibility study ‘demolition versus replacement building’ indicated annihilation of the existing tower blocks as the best option. Hence, demolition of these 572 social housing units occurs due to the lack of living quality and inconsistency with the current standards. The new development will be constituted as an ensemble of low-rise buildings, according to the concept of the so called ‘strokenmodel’ or ‘opened-out building block’ 64. The eventual project will consist of eight new buildings accommodated with around 365 social apartments, neighbourhood facilities and green space, and will be carried out by Popocini & Lootens eng. architects in co-operation with landscape architect Dirk Vandekerkhove. Collective and private gardens 61 “City renewal Bruggen naar Rabot”, https:// stad.gent/bruggen-naar-rabot/stadsvernieuwing-rabot-blaisantvest, accessed 16 May 2016, p.3 62 ‘Stadsvernieuwingsproject Bruggen naar Rabot’, Nieuwsbrief 9, Gent, Mei 2014, p.2 OR https://stad. gent/sites/default/files/page/documents/201405_PU_ BNR_nieuwsbrief9_LR.pdf, accessed 16 May 2016 63 ‘Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan’ will be referred to as “RUP” hereafter. ‘Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan 164 Wonen aan het Rabot’ refers to ‘Spatial Implementation Plan 164 - Living at the Rabot’. 64 STAD GENT, Wonen aan het Rabot. Strokenbouw, in: Gemeentelijk Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan (164) , Gent, 2014, p.27, The ‘strokenmodel’ is a concept carried out by WIT-architects. Fig. 55 Old picture of the former gasometers, to be integrated in the design of the new park Fig. 56 Rabot tower before the demolition
New development Existing structure Public green areas Religious institutions
Overview plan for the renewal projects will be organised in between the different volumes, whereas a public park as an extension of the Lieve river will serve as connection with Rabot park and ‘Griendeplein’.65 Tondelier A considerable side project of ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ urban renewal project is the refurbishment and redevelopment of the former gasometer and mill site into the residential area of Tondelier. The old mill will be renovated and rehabilitated into approximately 49 apartments with external views towards the canal, the old gasometers or the Rabot park.66 65 “RUP 164 Wonen aan het Rabot”, https://stad. gent/over-gent-en-het-stadsbestuur/stadsbestuur/ wat-doet-het-bestuur/uitvoering-van-het-beleid/ ruimtelijke-ordening/gemeentelijke-rups-en-bpas/ bekijk-de-geldende-plannen/deelgebied-9-gent-centrum/rup-164-wonen-aan-het-rabot, accessed 16 May 2016 66 “Stadsvernieuwingsproject Bruggen naar Rabot. Nieuwsbrief 9 mei, 2014”, https://stad.gent/sites/
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The refurbishment of the mill together with the development of the rest of the site will result in a contemporary quarter consisting of five hundred thirty new housing units. Besides housing the project also provides a big park -plus an extension of the existing Rabot park, office spaces, commercial facilities, a sports centre and a day-care centre.67 In the meantime the site hosts several provisional activities such as: a city acre for growing vegetables, a rent out system of private urban gardens, skate club ‘Tondelier’ and a temporary coworking space.68 The existing gasometers - seen as default/files/page/documents/201405_PU_BNR_nieuwsbrief9_LR.pdf, p.3, accessed 16 May 2016 67 “Tondelier, het project”, http://tondelier.be/het-project, accessed 16 May 2016 68 “Stadsvernieuwingsproject Bruggen naar Rabot. Nieuwsbrief 9 mei, 2014”, https://stad.gent/sites/ default/files/page/documents/201405_PU_BNR_nieuFig. 57 Overview plan for the renewal projects
archaeological heritage- will be integrated on site and bear testimony to the historical background of the area.69 Rabot Park As tail piece of the ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ renewal project, the Rabot park will be extended with a surface of 2,6 ha, generating the connection between Rabot and Blaisantvest. The park will be conceived as a landscape-design with a big diversity of plantation, alternated with paths and resting/meeting spaces. The two existing gasometers will be maintained and incorporated in the design of the new park. One will be restored as architectural artifact, while the other will be re-used for a wsbrief9_LR.pdf, p.3, accessed 16 May 2016 69 “Tondelier, het project”, http://tondelier.be/het-project, accessed 16-5-2016 Fig. 58 Saint Joseph church in the urban context of Rabot
neighbourhood-related purpose.70 Impact for the Saint Joseph Church Regeneration of the area will introduce, globally seen, positive changes that will lift the socio-economic image of Rabot. The ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ project encompasses a significant part of the quarter. Changes introduced within the urban renewal project will demand existing population to adjust to the more mixed-function, culturally and socially diverse, way of living. In the future St Joseph church could be seen as part of the development vision. Considering current low use and soon deconsecration, the church with its new function has the opportunity to ‘join’ the development project to gain an important role as the heart of the Rabot quarter. 70 “Stadsvernieuwingsproject Bruggen naar Rabot. Nieuwsbrief 9 mei, 2014”, https://stad.gent/sites/ default/files/page/documents/201405_PU_BNR_nieuwsbrief9_LR.pdf, p.11, accessed 16 May 2016
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2.3. Church within Rabot
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2.3.1. Inauguration of St Joseph parish
“Every parish is, in the universal church, a living cell, organically rooted and therefore wearer of all the characteristics of the whole. Every parish is a living community with its own personality, its own soul, its own face, its own beating heart and its own rhythm of life that is continually adjusted to the wavelength of time and space.”71 Rapid accumulation of families who moved to Rabot called for better organisation of the society to keep them on the right path and avoid potential incidents. The strengthening of the community was visible in the religion. After the sudden increase of population in the first half of the 19th century, the St Martinus parish was bursting out of its borders. Inhabitants from Brugse Poortwijk were depending on this parish, although it was far away. A new parish could solve the capacity and distance problems.. Therefore, in 1851, the chaplain of Sint Martinus parish got commissioned to establish a new deanery. The former dance school on the right bank of the Brugse Vaart was used as a temporary chapel for the aforementioned areas. In 1866, Brugse Poortwijk received the new parish church, Sint Jan Baptist, and the developing neighbourhood Rabot was also part of their parish. However, because of the high need, it was desirable to have an independent parish in Rabot as well. That is why the chaplain of the Brugse Poortwijk parish found the Saint Joseph deanery, which was recognised in 1872. The first priest was Aloïs Loos. The former dance room Elysee Fields served again 71 VAN HAMME, Roger, 1872-1972: Honderd jaar gemeenschapsleven op de St.-Jozefsparochie te Gent, Eeklo, Willems, 1972, Introduction Fig. 59 Urban development of Rabot, registered before 1875 Fig. 60 New plan of the city of Ghent and a part of the suburbs, second half of the 19th century
for the ceremonies until the parish St Joseph became officially recognised and St Joseph parish church was built. To recognise the new parish, several conditions needed to be fulfilled. First of all, the parish could not claim any subsidies for the construction of the new church. Secondly they should be able to finance and maintain the repairs of the building independently. Third, the new parish should waive the right of housing allowance for the local clergy. Nevertheless, the support from wealthier citizens was allowed. This is where the textile factory owners come on the scene. Charles and Joseph de Hemptinne were owner of the land on top of which the church was built. The land was donated to the Church Fabric. The architect, Auguste Van Assche is responsible for the design of the prevailing neo gothic style of the church, which was built in the period of 1880 (consecration first stone) and 1883. 4 March 1883 was the day of the inauguration of the church.72
2.3.2. Church: the navel of Rabot Historically and symbolically, the church is placed in the centre of Rabot to serve as moral guidance for Christians. It is put on a small island with green space outside the entrance and the aisles and is, therefore, accessible from all four façades. The main façade opens towards the west, to the street. The patio in front can be seen as the main little square of Rabot as well. Due to the dense housing fabric, the space around the church is limited and currently used as parking space. Street axes are leading towards the church thereby forming clear, open views to the Tondelier on the east and to the housing blocks on the west. The urban plan in the core of Rabot is in harmonious relationship, whereas the small and colourful, narrow, two storey row houses are contrasting the large, monumental, brick volume of the church. The building is located in the middle of Wondelgemstraat, the main street that interrupts the neighbourhood on 72 DE WILDE, Bart, Gent/Rabot. De teloorgang van de textielnijverheid, Tielt, Lannoo, 2007, p.61-65
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the north-south direction. The street is at the same time the most vivid part of the quarter with small shops, markets, butchers, fast food stands etc. one next to another stretched from one side of the street to the other. It is the most populated part in the neighbourhood and attracts plenty of additional visitors throughout the day. Many of them spend their time right in front of the Saint Joseph church. The little patio in front of the entrance serves as a free, social, meeting space, as a bus stop station or for temporary interventions (flower market or charity soup sharing). The options are endless and regularly active. The population is of different ages, both young because of the presence of the university campus Odisee, families but also retired people because of strong migration waves several decades ago. What is contrasting all this, is that although it concerns a dense, lively and vivid community, the church itself does not receive merely enough appropriate attention, in the sense of use and even respect. Homeless or unemployed people tend to spend their time on the entrance stairs leaving the rubbish behind them. Similar behaviour is visible on the side entrance stairs, which are actually surrounded with a small piece of nature, grass and a tree. The interest in the church is low and gives the impression that it is partly forgotten. Some of the reasons for that might be the general loss of interest in Catholicism, the majority of population being either Muslim or Orthodox or the lack of knowledge about the value of the building and its surrounding. Other possible reasons are, the inhabitants that did not yet accept a catholic church in their neighbourhood or just the lack of interests in appropriated cohabitation. Despite the unfavourable elements, the church represents the heart of the neighbourhood in the physical sense. The way the area was developed, the church was intended to be the focal point and meeting space for people from the very first days of its existence. The potential Fig. 61 â&#x20AC;&#x160; People leaving their rubbish behind them at the entrance stairs of the church
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Saint Joseph church has for the future of the neighbourhood is valuable and inescapable. Together with the urban renewal project â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bruggen naar Rabotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the opportunity opens for the church to regain the important role it once had for the community. The purpose will most likely be adapted to the actual needs of the people and will serve as an attraction point even for people outside Rabot.
2.3.3. Future The Saint Joseph church is at the crucial point of its existence. What the church, as an institution, represents in society reflects on the Saint Joseph church. Loss of interest for Catholicism altogether and different cultures that surround it are important factors that will determine its future. Artistic value of the church is priceless and in addition to that, it is part of the important industrial development history of Ghent. The volume and the location of the church make it ideal for social activities that already spontaneously take place there. This is applicable for the outside space, however the building itself is not merely used to its full potential. To change that for the better, one should use the advantages the neighbourhood has and find a way to communicate with people for the second time in history. Cultural and social diversity are the strengths of Rabot. Different social classes, families, youngsters and other visitors will become new users of the church. With that in mind, the needs of the neighbourhood should be taken into account, as they were in the 19th century when the church was erected. Will the church still be sacred place, or will it have a profane function in the future? Nevertheless, the major function should be kept: it should remain a place for the community. The church should continue to represent a holistic and safe place for people. They will meet, learn, exchange, play, educate themselves, feed and help each other there. As it once was, the heart of Rabot, the Saint Joseph church will regain the title once again.
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2.4. Conclusion Trade of agricultural goods led by St Peter’s and St. Bavo’s Abbey allowed Ghent to become an influential economic centre already in 9th and 10th century. Regional trades provided privileges for long-distance trading for the merchants. Between the 11th century and the late 13th century, Ghent became one of the most important cities in North-West Europe. The textile industry employed more than half of the population. The city used the historic rivers as boundaries, and a new ring of the city wall was constructed. Religious struggle against Catholic rule of the 16th century left Ghent a deep scar in its evolution and the city’s development was largely hindered. The city recovered slowly but would never again be among the most important cities in Europe ever since. During the 17th century, the Catholic faith regained its prominent position in the society.
around their factories to keep the workforces close and bind them to the factories. The church is symbolically placed in the centre to serve as moral guidance for Christians. Religious architecture had lost its importance in the evolution of architecture since the 19th century in favour of the civil architecture. Most churches at the time were built in neo-Gothic style.
The 18th century industrial revolution had an important impact on Ghent and the rest of Flanders. People from the countryside were attracted to the prosperous life in the city and moved closer to the market, which caused sudden population growth. Industrial development resulted in prosperity and growth for Ghent, but the city was struggling to meet the needs within its medieval city borders and dense urban fabric with narrow streets, canals and bridges. After the abolition of patent laws in 1860, factories had finally the possibility to settle outside the city borders. Industrial development also initiated investments in better infrastructure, considering the roads, bridges, railways and ports. Expansion of canals (notably between Ghent and Terneuzen) and strong industrial influence resulted in completely new quarters that arose along new roads and industrial sites.
The ‘Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent’, operative since 2003, prescribes the environmental policy for the city of Ghent that aims to profile Ghent as a historic, residential city with a status of prominent educational and cultural centre. Currently, the city of Ghent is working on ‘Ruimte voor Gent - structuurvisie 2030’, a new document that aims to obtain a stronger people-oriented policy elaboration.
The present Rabot area was originally part of the greater ‘Wondelgemmeersen’ area in the periphery on the north of Ghent. During the industrial revolution the layout of Rabot has visibly changed. Manufacturers were mostly responsible for the urbanisation of areas
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Concerning Ghent’s importance in the international context, the city is part of a bigger geographical entity that is considered as an essential link in western European spatialfunctional structure. As part of the BENELUXDelta, the port of Ghent belongs to the biggest port network in the world. Around the end of the 1970s, structural planning was seen as the new planning methodology to organise and structure development visions for the city.
Rabot area covers “the triangle” on the northwest border of Ghent, located right outside the old city walls in the industrial zone of the city. Historical evolution of the site had an important impact on what the neighbourhood is today. Today’s biggest points of attraction and influence towards the city are the University campus Odisee and the Palace of Justice, both situated on the bottom border of Rabot and the historic city centre. The contamination of the soil was the most important reason that hindered future development of the Tondelier area. The heart of Rabot is dense, concentrated working-class housing area developed on a planned, strict grid. The St Joseph church is located in the middle of Wondelgemstraat, the main street most vibrant part of Rabot
and has an important role constituting the symbolic navel of the neighbourhood. Majority of population is either Muslim or Orthodox, therefore the church is not merely used to its potential. Despite this, the church represents the heart of the neighbourhood in the physical sense. The way the area was developed, the church was intended to be the place where community meets from the very first days of its existence. Recent urban project in the area ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ has the ambition to improve the quality of housing, public domain and open spaces in Rabot, as well as to interconnect the area with the historic centre and the north part of the city through several daughter-projects. After deconsecration, the church should continue to represent a holistic and safe place for people. With the urban renewal project ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’, the opportunity opens for the church to regain the important role it once had for the community.
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3 Social analysis
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Social analysis
Since the St Joseph church is situated in the middle of a living, densely inhabited neighbourhood, the community aspect cannot be excluded from the project. Neighbours are always in direct contact with their built environment and for sure with the dominant church, rising high above the working-class houses. Nevertheless, demographic data needs to be analysed in order to understand the social structure of Rabot and how to include the community in the reconversion project more effectively. The analysis also gives a clear idea on the actual situation in the neighbourhood. What is the cultural and social background of this neighbourhood? Which social challenges does Rabot have to meet and how is this presented in the media? How did the neighbourhood socially evolve? Why are there so many people in the streets, appropriating the space on daily basis? How do different communities interact with each other?
steps of the urban development in the area. De Smet brothers initiated the urbanisation of the plot in 1872-75. The first migration wave is directly related to the industrial expansion of Ghent towards the outskirts. Population from the periphery and surrounding villages came to the city for work because the local, small-scale textile production was not competitive anymore. The newly developed districts aimed to keep the workforce close to the factories. With the hope the workers wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave, manufacturers provided homes for them. Workers lived in row houses called beluiken: narrow, two storeys houses with mirrored floor plans that were grouped into continuous façades in small, dead-end streets.
Until the middle of the 19th century, Rabot was an uninhabited part known as the Wondelgem Meersen. Settlement began after 1860, with drying out the ramparts at the Beguine Avenue and Blaisantvest and excavation of the Verbindingsvaart canal, considered as the first
From the 1960s onwards, Belgium was facing a new migration flow. The high amount of cheap foreign labourers was a result of the post-war reconstruction and welfare phase.73 The initiative was an attempt to deal with the shortage of local labour and was supported by both receiving and sending countries. It was supposed to be a temporary solution, however, the new workers permanently settled. In the 1970s further intake of foreign labour occurred, including joining families from the first foreign migration wave. Later, in the 1980s there is a new flow of people (from the same countries) migrating for the purpose
Fig. 62 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Social gathering during the flower market in front of St Joseph church, May 4, 2016
73 PHALET, Karen, SWYNGEDOUW, Marc, Measuring immigrant integration: the case of Belgium, Studi Emigrazione / Migration Studies, 2003, p. 2
3.1. Migration waves in the past
63
of marriage, since this was the only legal way left to stay in Belgium. Sending countries supported emigration from their rural regions where employment rates were low. This way, migration networks were formed and most immigrants would come from the same rural region, such as are Anatolian provinces in Turkey or Eastem Rif area in Morocco. By 1991, among numerous foreign labourers, the highest numbers count Turkish and Moroccan nationalities.74 From observations and conversations with people living in Rabot, it can be confirmed that the similar patterns occurred in Ghent, especially in Rabot. Notable is the influence of immigrant community to the neighbourhood, which often retains the lifestyle from their home countries, and sometimes, although more 74 LIEVENS, J., The Third Wave of Immigration from Turkey and Morocco: Determinants and Characteristics, Interuniversity papers in demography, UNIVERSITEIT¡ GENT Department of Population Studies, IPD-Working Paper 1997, p. 1
64
present in older generations, there is a lack of communication abilities (lack of knowledge of French and Dutch). Parallel to the labour migrations from foreign countries, a third migration wave characterises the settlement of technology campus KIHO (Catholic Industrial University of East Flanders) in 1978, in the former textile factory called NV Louisiana, in De Smet Street in the southwest of Rabot75. Later, the campus changed its name to Odisee. Although still an industrial site, the new campus meant new student inflow to the already mixed neighbourhood. Considering the vicinity of the university and lower rents in the quarter, it was an attractive option for the new population group (students). Under the influence of the on-going urban development 75 http://www.gentblogt.be/2014/10/02/van-nv-louisiana-tot-odisee, accessed 25 May 2016 Fig. 63 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Multicultural stratification of Rabot quarter
in the neighbourhood ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’, there will most likely be another migration wave in the near future. The aim of the development is to introduce Rabot to different ages and social classes and to give the quarter a more quality, mixed-use look. Apart from affordable housing, green areas and multipurpose spaces will be introduced.
3.2. Current The demographic picture of Rabot in the context of Ghent is in multiple ways specific. Not only is the area densely inhabited with 9611 inh/km2, compared to the whole Ghent that in average has 1596 inh/km2, but the diversity of population considering origins, classes and occupation is clearly distinguishable throughout the quarter. To understand the structure of Rabot better, several aspects, such as the built-ratio rate, ownership status, employment rate etc., will be compared with the city of Ghent. According to buurtmonitor (neighbourhood monitor) in Ghent, there is in total 8271 officially registered persons in the quarter, from that almost the half is settled in the Wondelgemstraat zone (4287). From that, 27.79% are non-Belgians, which is higher than Ghent, (in total 13.17%). Outstanding is the percentage depending on the nationality of the mother, which amounts 67,5%. After comparing the percentage of non-Belgians, 27,79%, to the number of (non-) Belgians with Fig. 64 Social gather during the Babbel soup event, 2016 Fig. 65 Daily appropriation of the space in front of the main entrance of St Joseph church Fig. 66 >> Population density, expressed in inh/km2 Fig. 67 >> Mean income per taxable person Fig. 68 >> Ratio of non working people (able to work) Fig. 69 >> Owners vs. renters ratio Fig. 70 >> Amount of persons with foreign origin Fig. 71 Mean surface per house
a non-Belgian mother, 67,5%, it is clear that there is a high number of second-generation immigrants (Fig. 70). The number of refugees is also higher than in Ghent (1.5 times), which amounts 4,1/ 1000 inhabitants. Following data are extracted from buurtmonitor Ghent that collects statistical data about demographic information on each neighbourhood and the city as a whole and the tables will give a little overview on different aspects that compare to Ghent.
65
Population density, expressed in inh/km2 < 1000 1000 < 2000 2000 < 3000 3000 < 4000 4000 < 5000 6000 < 7000 7000 < 8000 8000 < 9000 >= 9000
66
Mean income per taxable person expressed in euro < 18.000 18.000 < 20.000 20.000 < 22.000 22.000 < 24.000 >= 24.000
67
Ratio of non working people (able to work) expressed in % <6 6<8 8 < 10 10 < 12 >= 12
68
Owners vs renters ratio expressed in % < 40 40 < 48 48 < 56 56 < 64 >= 64
69
Persons with foreign origins expressed in % < 16 16 < 24 24 < 32 32 < 40 >= 40
70
Mean surface per house expressed in m2 < 110 110 < 120 120 < 130 130 < 140 >= 140
71
3.3. Conclusion Rabot
Ghent
33.8 5.7 46.9 13.6 100
42.4 3.2 44.8 9.6 100
Socio-economic status in 2012* Employed Unemployed Not professionally active Other TOTAL %
Dwellings by ownership type in 2011 Owner Apartments for rent
1,123 2,177
55,841 55,815
Home with unknown ownership type
18
530
Other housing units and collective living quarters
5
182
TOTAL
3,323
112,358
Number of social housing dwellings in 2012
1,241
14,685
Average surface per dwelling in 2013 (m2) Per property House Multi-family
96 122 74
126 163 83
Construction grade in 2013**
32.1
12.2
Rabot is known as a densely inhabited working class neighbourhood with high unemployment and crime rates. It is a neighbourhood with families and small children, but also with students. The majority of population has foreign origins and (strong) cultural identities. In the near future, a whole new social mix will be introduced to the existing setting through the renewal projects of Tondelier and the towers that are located close to the palace of Justice. What does this strong social and demographic diversity represents for Rabot, more importantly, for the St Joseph church? Demographic mix is both, an asset and a threat to the future of Rabot. If the issues Rabot is facing today are not part of the improvement plan, the neighbourhood might retain a negative tone in the context of Ghent. At the same time, cultural diversity can become the most powerful asset if managed appropriately.
Table 1 Statistical overview (in numbers) of Rabot within the context of Ghent. Notes: * Socio-economic status: unemployed: these are jobseekers on benefits (unemployment, bridging or assistance benefit); not professionally active: people in career break or time credit, income support or financial help, (early) pensioners, children, the disabled and persons with disabilities; other: people who have no link with a source of social security (eg housewives or - men.), http://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ ** Constructed area: the development rate is the ratio of the total surface of an area to the total area of an area, expressed as a percentage. A high percentage indicates ‘dense’ areas with many buildings. A low percentage indicates areas with lots of space (gardens, squares, embankments,...). http://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ Fig. 72 Social encounter of different cultures in the neighbourhood encouraged by organisation of social events. Initiative organised by the Church fabric
72
73
74
4 Architectural analysis
75
76
Architectural analysis
The architectural analysis consists of two large chapters, organised chronologically. The first subchapter starts with the historical context, explains the complete building process and the evolution from past to present and ends with a synthesis of the building phases. Following research questions occurred: How did the church originate? Who was involved? What were the different phases in the building process? Did the construction have to deal with structural, financial or social problems? How has the church evolved from the 19th century until now? What are the different building phases?
4.1. Historical overview The second subchapter focuses on the current state and consists of a building inventory and an overview of comparable religious buildings. This sub-chapter focuses on the past situation, starting from context until finalisation of the building and gives a synthesis of the building phases. The most important sources for this chapter were archival sources and books.
guide for workers. This part focuses on the circumstances in which the church was erected. Ultramontanism The Ultramontanism was an anti-liberal traditional movement that originated against the fundamental principles of the French revolution in 1789. “Ultra-montagna”, (“behind the mountains”), refers to the connection they had with the Pope. They aimed for the independence of the Catholic Church, for its privileged position in society and for the cooperation between Church and State. They were critical on the liberal idea of freedom and the idea of equality. According to the Ultramontanes, there was a natural inequality between individuals and a need for a traditional elite to exercise authority. The society of the Ancien Régime, where the individual is subordinated to the community, was the most ideal situation. The religion should have been present in daily life tasks, the political dimension and everyone’s thoughts. 76
The chapter on urban analysis gives a detailed explanation of the textile industry related to the evolution of Rabot and the role of the church in an industrial neighbourhood, as a
In the first part of the 19th century, a very strict and heavy anti-liberal generation stood up in the diocese of Ghent. A couple of young Vincentians, led by textile baron Joseph de Hemptinne, cooperated with the diocesans and regular clergy to create the base of an extended religious and social-care network. Vincentians were members of the international organisation St Vincentius a Paulo, a group
Fig. 73 < Side altar holy family, St Joseph church
76 LAMBERTS, Emiel, De kruistocht tegen het Liberalisme, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1984, p.3839
4.1.1. Context
77
of laymen that helped the poor. This group of Vincentians and clergy also established a newspaper, Le Bien Public, a propaganda mechanism to promote and establish the Ultramontane movement in the rest of Flanders.77 Originally, the ultramontanes only focused on the moralization of textile workers. From the moment they became aware of their poor living conditions, they also strived for the improvement of this unbearable situation.78 The urban development of the Rabot area was such an example. The rational plan with separated plots and a radial street pattern was a tool to improve the living conditions. The church in the middle of the plan was an instrument to immerse religion into daily life and create a pious society. It was a social control for the neighbourhood and binded the textile workers and their families to the Rabot area Neo-gothic Neo-gothic is defined as the conscious references to Gothic, in another era than the Middle ages. It is a stylistic development that originated in the nineteenth century, as many other neo-styles. Neo-gothic consists of two large stylistic phases, namely the picturesque and the esthetic phase. The picturesque Early neo-Gothic (1800-1850), also known as the “pointed arch style” and “troubadour Gothic”, was influenced by the Romanticism of the eighteenth century. The ideas of freedom and human rights, within the framework of the Enlightenment, were translated into architecture. The style was a reaction of the bourgeoisie, that wanted to display their artistic taste, against the nobility and the Church. The two sub-phases, the profane phase (1800-1830) and the esthetical phase (1830-1850), marked the rise of a new society and the definitive establishment of the nineteenth century bourgeois society. The first sub-phase, the “troubadour Gothic”, had a 77 LAMBERTS, Emiel, De kruistocht tegen het Liberalisme, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1984, p.47 78 LAMBERTS, Emiel, De kruistocht tegen het Liberalisme, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1984, p.56
78
typical frivolous and profane character. It was related to the English Gothick and was used for the first time in Belgium in landscape parks and later in architecture. The church of the Dominican monastery in Ghent, now part of the St Luke school of Art, is such an example. The second sub-phase , “le style à la Cathédrale” or “romantic Gothic revival” was related to the ideals of freedom, tolerance and social equality and corresponded strongly with the Romanticism.79 Belgium however, was facing the challenge of building a national identity. A crucial point was the more or less romantic relationship with its medieval past. The popularisation of this era during the 1830s and 1840s shed new light on the Gothic buildings, most of them becoming national monuments and being restored.80 The second phase (1850-1914) reacted to the idealistic character of the first phase and consisted of two sub-phases, the archaeological neo-Gothic and the Reformed Gothic. From the 1850’s, the simultaneous existence of different neo-styles was, according to the artistic world, considered as a problem and two main neostyles, neo-Gothic and neo-Classicism, clashed in the “battle of the styles”. In Belgium, the neo-Classicism was represented by the official academies of fine arts while the Ultramontane Catholic elite embraced the neo-Gothic.81 The translation by Thomas H. King, “L’architecture Ogivale ou chrétienne”, from the famous English publication of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, initiated this second phase. The book was considered as the most important guideline to obtain a moral, national 79 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p. 20-58 80 COOMANS, Thomas , “Pugin Worldwide: From Les Vrais Principes and the Belgian St Luke Schools to Northern China and Inner Mongolia”, in: Timothy BRITTAIN-CATLIN, Jan DE MAEYER & Martin BRESSANI (eds), A.W.N. Pugin’s Gothic Revival: The International Style (KADOC Artes 16), Leuven University Press, 2016 (in print), p.285 81 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p. 20-58
and Christian architecture that suited the message of the Ultramontanes. Pugin united Christianity, the Middle Ages and Gothic and rejected a superficial imitation of Gothic and the classic composition principles, referring to the picturesque Early neo-Gothic and the neo-Classicism. He aimed for a revival of the medieval Gothic principles and craftsmanship, where medieval liturgy and symbolism were taken into account.82 King wrote an interpretation instead of a literal translation and emphasised the ideological component. Introducing neo-Gothic in architecture, arts and crafts would give, according to King, a specific contribution to the revival of an harmonic Christian class society.83 Jean Baptiste Bethune, the later promoter of this archaeological neo-Gothic, already had the chance to meet Pugin and admire his work in Birmingham and Oscott College, when he visited England in 1842 during a medical cure.84 This meeting and the translation of Pugin’s book encouraged Bethune’s enthusiasm for archaeological neo-Gothic. He used Pugin’s translation to legitimise his criticism of the romantic Gothic Revival.85 Rationality, functionalism and the logic of the construction should result, in a natural way, in a picturesque outcome. Bethune created, like Pugin, a group of artists through the establishment of the St Luke school in Ghent and via his own design and stained-glass atelier in Bruges and later in Ghent. This elite group considered all kinds of building orders as one piece of art, based on the principles from the Puginesque neoGothic. According to Bethune, architects had 82 Vlaamse neogotiek in Europees perspectief S.l. : Christelijk Vlaams kunstenaarsverbond, 1980, p.9 83 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.58 84 VAN CLEVEN, Jan, Neogotiek in België, Gent, Lannoo, 1994 85 COOMANS, Thomas , “Pugin Worldwide: From Les Vrais Principes and the Belgian St Luke Schools to Northern China and Inner Mongolia”, in: Timothy BRITTAIN-CATLIN, Jan DE MAEYER & Martin BRESSANI (eds), A.W.N. Pugin’s Gothic Revival: The International Style (KADOC Artes 16), Leuven University Press, 2016 (in print), p.286
to study Gothic monuments in order to gain knowledge and learn to adapt a building to local climate and regional materials. This point would determine the method and the identity of the St Luke’s movement.86 Students and disciples followed originally his trail, but some started to experiment with other influences. This turning point introduced the last subphase, namely the Reformed Gothic. Artists like Auguste Van Assche, Joseph Casier and Mathias Zens applied the rules with more freedom, but never without the approval of their master Bethune.87 St Luke’s movement Through the Vincentians, Joseph de Hemptinne came in contact with the flourishing Bruges neo-Gothic and its promoter Jean Baptiste Bethune. De Hemptinne was impressed by this strict, archaeological style and the Ultramontanes were convinced that it was thé style to express the Catholic revival. In 1858, de Hemptinne convinced Bethune to transfer his design and stained glass studio from Bruges to Ghent and started to promote this style there.88 Since 1846, the Vincentians started to expand their network of schools. Officially because of lack of free schools but unofficially because of their will to establish Christian schools without governmental control. De Hemptinne was considered as the initiator of this process. He asked for help from the higher clergy and the members of the Vincentians, paid the salary of the teaching friars and founded two schools 86 COOMANS, Thomas , “Pugin Worldwide: From Les Vrais Principes and the Belgian St Luke Schools to Northern China and Inner Mongolia”, in: Timothy BRITTAIN-CATLIN, Jan DE MAEYER & Martin BRESSANI (eds), A.W.N. Pugin’s Gothic Revival: The International Style (KADOC Artes 16), Leuven University Press, 2016 (in print), p.287 87 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.43-45 88 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.78
79
himself. The Christian schools also included a small drawing and art school led by friar Joseph Marès, where young boys learned the tricks and dodges of the neo-Gothic style. This class evolved from a small scale initiative to the official St Luke school of Ghent in 1866, established by de Hemptinne, Bethune and Marès and funded by the Vincentians until 1920.89 St Luke wanted to be an alternative for the pagan official academies by educating architects, artists and craftsmen that spreaded the Catholic revival through neo-Gothic. They used architecture as an ideological weapon to spread the five principles of the St Luke education. The first was the Catholic, moral basis, necessary to show the authority of the Catholic Church. The second principle focused on the national character, according to St Luke only visible in the art before the Renaissance, namely the medieval Gothic. The unity of principles and the limitation of one style was the third principle which led to the development of logical artistic thoughts. The fourth one was based on the aim to consider architecture again as the mother of all arts whereas the final principle concerned the unity of conception and execution, of mind and hand, of art and crafts.90 The school expanded quickly and needed more staff than two teaching friars. From 1867, laymen architect Auguste Van Assche and artist Adrien Hubert Bressers started teaching the specialised parts of the program. The school educated a select club of skilled craftsmen that represented, together with its initiators and teachers, the St Luke’s movement.
89 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.157-159 90 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.281
80
4.1.2. Involved persons and organisations The following persons and organisations were (in)directly involved in the construction of the St Joseph Church. All the artists were part of the St Luke’s movement and Joseph de Hemptinne had, as already mentioned, close bonds with these members. Priest Aloïs Joos represented the Church Fabric, the later owner of the St Joseph church. The municipality of Ghent, the Governor and the minister of Finance were also important stakeholders in terms of building permissions and subsidies (Fig. 74). Auguste Van Assche Auguste Van Assche is the architect of the St Joseph church. He was born in Ghent on 4 July 1826 and was raised there. From 1846, he studied at the Royal academy of Ghent where he had classes from Adolphe Pauli en Louis Roelandt. He left the academy for unknown reasons and returned in 1849. Van Assche was registered as constructor, architect and carpenter in the registers of the Academy from 1853, where he graduated in 1858. Directly after his graduation, Van Assche became one of Jean Baptiste Bethune’s first employees. He was extremely interesting for Bethune because he could sign the building permissions as an architect. During this period, Van Assche’s style shifted dramatically from neo-Classicism to neo-Gothic.91 Bethune became not only a colleague but also a mentor and a friend.92 It is not known when Van Assche left Bethune’s atelier and started his own. He was very productive as (restoration) architect, publicist, teacher and member of different organisations. Through his contacts with Bethune, he became a teacher in the St-Luke school of Ghent. Furthermore, he was member and for a while president of the Royal commission of architects 91 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, Architecturale tekeningen, Auguste Van Assche 92 Leuven, KADOC, Stichting de Bethune, Auguste Van Assche, 06B42008 Fig. 74 > Link between persons and institutions involved in construction of Saint Joseph church
Province Catholic
State Catholic Neighbourhood People of the parish
Church Fabric Owner
Donours
City Gent Liberal
Jozef de Hemptinne Donator Ultramontanes Extreme catholic movement
Sint-Jozefkerk
Jean Baptiste de Bethune
Auguste Van Assche Architect
Florimond Van Vaerenbergh Constructor
Sint Lucas movement
Joseph Casier Craftman for glazes
Wieme Craftman
Matthias Zens Sculptur
81
of East-Flanders (1892-1893), member of the Royal Commission for monuments and sites (1895-1907) 93, member of the Guild of St Thomas and St Luke and member of honour of the Guild of St Luke and Saint Joseph. 94 During his career, Van Assche restored and designed more than hundred religious and public buildings such as the Church of Our Lady in Deinze, the St Nicolas church in Ghent and the St Martinus church in Sint-MartensLatem. In the end, Van Assche has always been more a builder than a theorist and that is maybe why his influence in the neo-Gothic movement of the nineteenth century is still, until today, underestimated. Florimond Van Vaerenbergh Florimond Van Vaerenbergh was the contractor of the church and located in Ghent. There is no further information found. Aloïs Joos & Church Fabric Aloïs Joos was the priest of the St Joseph parish. He was born in 1872 in Dendermonde and first curate of the St Jan-Baptist parish in Ghent. On July 7th 1872, he became priest of the St Joseph parish. Joos died October 13th 1891 in Brussels, 7 years after the finalisation of the church. As priest, he represented the Church Fabric, being the clients of the St Joseph church and later its owners. He strived, together with Joseph de Hemptinne, for the erection of a new parish in the workmen’s neighbourhood of Rabot.95 Municipality, province and state The political situation in Belgium during the construction of the church, from 1874 until 1884, was rather complicated. The liberals obtained the majority in the Belgian parliament 93 “Auguste Van Assche”, http://www.odis.be/hercules/toonPers.php?taalcode=nl&id=13851 , accessed 16 May 2016 94 Leuven, KADOC, Organisatiearchieven, Kunst en cultuur, Documentatiedossier inzake Auguste Van Assche (1999), 781 95 DEDEKEN, Annie et al. . 1872-1972: Honderd jaar gemeenschapsleven op de St.-Jozefsparochie te Gent, Eeklo, Willems, 1972, p. 12
82
in 1858 and in the city council of Ghent in 1867. They were anti-clerical and did not support the plans of the Church Fabric of St Joseph and Joseph de Hemptinne. However, the provincial governor of East-Flanders and the minister of Justice belonged to the Catholic party and supported the construction plans.96 Joseph de Hemptinne The donator of the land and a large part of the building materials was Joseph de Hemptinne. He was born on 28 july 1822 in Ghent. His father Felix de Hemptinne was part of an old Wallonian patrician family and married Henriette Lousbergs, daughter of textile baron Hubert Lousbergs. Felix had two older brothers, Charles and Jules. The brothers worked together in the factory of their father. Felix married Pauline Gonthyn, a daughter of a banker, who also devoted her life to Catholic works. They had eight children together.97 As figurehead of the Vincentians and the Ultramontanes, he was able to found, together with Jean Baptiste Bethune and friar Marès, the St Luke school. This foundation is considered as one of the most prestigious achievements of the Ghent Vincentians. De Hemptinne was an intense promoter of the neo-Gothic and strived for the revival of the Christian art of the Middle Ages. 98 Donators It was an honour to give donations to the parish of St Joseph in order to help to construct the church. The Church Fabric collected money from the neighbourhood and wealthy people donated money, religious objects or stainedglass windows. Jean Baptiste Bethune As already mentioned, Jean Baptiste Bethune knew architect Auguste Van Assche 96 DEDEKEN, Annie et al. . 1872-1972: Honderd jaar gemeenschapsleven op de St.-Jozefsparochie te Gent, Eeklo, Willems, 1972, p. 10 97 LAMBERTS, Emiel, De kruistocht tegen het Liberalisme, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1984, p.64 98 SAERENS, Lieve, Inventaris van het archief van de familie Joseph de Hemptinne (ca. 1858-1950), KADOC, p.2-3
as a colleague and a friend. Although no correspondence between Bethune and Van Assche concerning the St Joseph church was found, it is plausible that Bethune advised Van Assche, since there are many proposals for the design of the church.99 Baron Jean Baptiste Bethune was born on 25 April 1821 in Kortrijk, as part of a noble family and died at the age of 73 in Marke. During his youth, he followed a basic art training at the Royal academy in Kortrijk where he learned to paint landscapes and sculpture. He studied law in Leuven from 1837 until 1842 but his weak health and the student life prevented him from graduating.100 Thanks to his artistic background and his strong Christian devotion, he decided in 1845 to start an design atelier in Bruges which also became a stained glass atelier from 1854 onwards. He dedicated his whole career to the establishment and propagation of neoGothic and was considered as the leader of this nineteenth century neo-Gothic movement in Belgium. Bethune applied the dogmatic, esthetical principles of the Puginesque neo-Gothic very strictly and his style was often defined as Bethunian neo-Gothic. His compositions were most of the time in Early or High Gothic style and he prefered archaic anatomy and primary colours.101 Joseph Casier The atelier of Joseph Casier (1852-1925) executed the stained glass windows of the church. He had an education in philology and law and was first active as industrial and politician before he continued the glass atelier of Arthur Verhaegen in 1895 in Ghent. He was member of honour of the St Luke and St Joseph guild, member of the St Thomas and St Luke guild and member of the Ghent St Joris guild.102 99 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 3-10; 14 100 “Jean Baptiste Bethune”, https://nl.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Bethune, accessed 16 May 2016 101 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.303 102 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST,
Mathias Zens Mathias Zens (1838-1921) was responsible for most of the furniture such as pulpit, choir stalls, confessionals and altars. At a young age, the German received a scholarship for the recently founded St Luke School where he specialised in sculpture.103 In his atelier in Ghent, he used different kind of materials such as marble, wood, ivory and produced a high amount of religious furniture in Flanders. He was a member of honour of St Luke and St Joseph guild and from 1870 until 1874 member of the St Thomas and St Luke guild.104 Atelier Bressers-Blanchaert The atelier Bressers-Blanchaert was responsible for the mural paintings in the St Joseph church. The first generation consisted of Adriaan Hubert Bressers (1835-1898, painter) and his brothers-in-law Leonard Blanchaert (1834-1905, sculptor) and Leopold Blanchaert (1832-1913, carpenter). The three artists were in close contact with Bethune, owned two ateliers, “Bressers” and “Blanchaert”, and worked in close cooperation. They even used a common stamp “Bressers-Blanchaert” to sign their designs.105 Adriaan Bressers died in 1898 and his son Léon, graduated from St Luke in 1886, took over his atelier. Léon Bressers belonged to the second generation.106 The mural paintings are made before 1908, but it is uncertain whether Adriaan or Léon painted them.
Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.347 103 Leuven, KADOC, Organisatiearchieven, Kunst en cultuur, Documentatiedossier inzake Mathias Zens (19951997), 714 104 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.380 105 Leuven, KADOC, Archief Atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, 513 106 VERMEIREN, Rie, Inventaris van het Neogotische tekeningenarchief Bressers-Blanchaert, ca 1860-1914. Leuven, KADOC, p.2
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4.1.3. The parish Saint-Joseph Before he became the first priest of St Joseph parish, Aloïs Joos was curate of the St Jan Baptist parish on the other side of the Bruges canal. In 1866, the parish counted 12000 people and thousands of people had to cross the canal to go to church. Due to these two reasons, a new deanery was established in an old dance hall on the other side of the canal. The space already served as temporary chapel during the establishment of the St Jan-Baptist deanery. Joos was appointed priest and applied for the permission of an independent parish in 1871, which implied the construction of a parish church. The parish would be called St Joseph, the patron saint of the carpenters and the workers in general. The name is linked to all the factory workers living in Rabot.
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Joos’ request was refused by the liberal city council of Ghent because the space still possessed the elementary artefacts and because of their anti-clerical mindset. However, the new Belgian minister of Justice from the Catholic party accepted Joos’ application in 1871 but the city council refused again. The document was then sent to the provincial council that gave a positive advice. The city council agreed under conditions: the Church Fabric of St Joseph could not receive any municipal support for the construction of the new church, they had to deliver proof of their ability to finance the maintenance and reparation works and they had to give up the housing fee for the local clergy.107 107 DEDEKEN, Annie et al. . 1872-1972: Honderd jaar gemeenschapsleven op de St.-Jozefsparochie te Gent, Eeklo, Willems, 1972, p.11 Fig. 75 Perspective of the church by Auguste Van Assche in order of the Church Fabric, 4 march 1873
4.1.4. From design to building permission Proposals
During the design process, Auguste Van Assche made several floor plans that differ in shape and composition. Some plans have a rectangular shape with transepts as wide as the naves while other plans are based on a cross with wider transepts. The choir evolved from a choir with a choir aisle and one or multiple radiating chapels, to a choir designed as a hall church with or without radiating chapels. The sacristies were placed next or behind the choir (Fig.77-84). 108 The sketches of the tower differ in the window height and the decoration of the small towers (Fig. 76).109 108 Several floor plans, s.d. .Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 3-10 109 Sketches tower, s.d. . Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 16 Fig. 76 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Proposals for the tower, elevations, s.d.
This design process evolved towards four elaborated proposals, made between December 30th 1872 and October 15th 1873 (Fig. 85-88). All proposals are cruciform churches, with three naves and a tower at the crossing. They consist of a portal, ship, transept, choir and sacristy in the back. The choir is designed as a hall church without choir aisles and radiating chapels, except in the second proposal. Choir and ship are separated by stairs at the position of the rood loft. The ship always has five bays but the ones in the choir differ per project. Each bay has a combination of three soft pointed arch windows, while portal and transept have both two smaller side towers. All proposals have brick walls, slated roofs and wooden vaults. The first project is similar to the final project. The ship and the choir with three bays are the same height and the tower has a basic design.110 110 First project A, 30 December 1872. Gent, C.B.U.
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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Fig. 77 > Design 1, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir with and without radiating chapels, s.d Fig. 78 > Design 2, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir with choir aisle and one radiating chapel at the level of the head altar, s.d. Fig. 79 > s.d., design 3, floor plan. Rectangular-shaped, sacristy next to the radiating chapel, choir with choir aisle and one radiating chapel at the level of the head altar, s.d. Fig. 80 > s.d. , design 4, floor plan. Rectangular-shaped, sacristy next to the radiating chapel, choir with radiating chapels, s.d. Fig. 81
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Design 5, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir with choir aisle and one radiating chapel at the level of the head altar, s.d. Fig. 82 Design 6, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir designed as hall church with a radiating chapel for each nave, s.d. Fig. 83 Design 7, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir designed as hall church with a radiating chapel for each nave, s.d. Fig. 84 Design 8, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir designed as hall church with a radiating chapel for the head altar, s.d.
Fig. 85 First project, elevation south façade, 30 December 1872 Fig. 86 Second project, floor plan, between 30 December 1872 and 15 October 1873
Fig. 87 >> Third project, South façade, 15 October 1873 Fig. 88 >> Fourth project, Floor plan, 15 October 1873
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The second project has a different choir than the first proposal. The choir has a radiating chapel situated behind the high altar.111 Similar to the first proposal, the third project differs in the design of the windows in the transept, the shape of the sacristy and the tower. The ship is higher than the choir, composed by three bays.112 The fourth proposal, made at the same time as the third one, is exactly the same except for the number of bays in the choir. The fourth project has four instead of three.113
Official plans Configuration The official plans are the further elaboration of the third proposal (Fig. 89-91).114 The design is one of the best examples of an ideal medieval parish church, according to the St Luke movement. Van Assche and Bressers dedicated a book to this type of church and its symbolism.115 Several elements of this church are also present in the St Joseph church. First of all, it is an oriented church because the choir and main altar are oriented towards the east.
Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 28-33 111 Second project A’, s.d.. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 34-35 112 Third project B, 15 October 1873.. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 36-48 113 Fourth project B, 15 October 1873. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 49-58
114 Official plans, 14 March 1874. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 1127 115 BRESSERS, Adrien & VAN ASSCHE, Auguste, de kerken der middeleeuwen en haer symbolismus. Gent, 1865 Fig. 89 Official plans, elevation of the south façade, 14 March 1874
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The east represents the nature, the rising of the sun and Christ himself. Secondly, there is a second orientation axis to heaven, namely the tower. Moreover, the tower is placed exactly in the middle of the first orientation axis. Third, Van Assche designed a cruciform church because it represents the religion of the cross and the body of Jesus. The western part is longer and represents his feet and legs, the transept his arms and the choir his head. Finally, the St Joseph church is composed by three parts: the vestibule, the ship and the choir. These three parts represent the three parts of the spiritual church, namely the suffering, struggling and triumphing church. People in need gather in the vestibule and the baptismal font and burial chapel are located there. This is the case for the St Joseph church, except the positioning is opposite from the ideal situation. The ship is divided in three naves, representing the Holy Trinity. The southern path is for the men while
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the northern path is for the women. The choir is reserved for the clergy and the separation between the choir and the ship is always very visible by a rood loft. In the case of the St Joseph church, the height difference makes this separation even clearer. Scheldt Gothic Van Assche used Scheldt Gothic as reference style, an Early Gothic style used in Flanders during the 13th and 14th century. The county of Flanders, consisting of the west side of the Scheldt and a large part of the current Northern France, belonged to France, after the battle of Bouvines in 1214. Although the county of Fig. 90 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Official plans, floorplan, 14 March 1874 Fig. 91 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Official plans, perspective of the Church, 14 March 1874
Flanders was occupied, Ghent, Bruges, Tournai and Ieper flourished during this period and the local art was enormously influenced by the French Early Gothic art.116 This influence led to the development of the local “style Scaldien” or Scheldt Gothic, elaborated by the Tournai school of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and sculpture. In 1895, on the Second Congress of the archaeological and historical Federation of Belgium, Louis Cloquet stated that a “Tournai school” had existed. The cathedral of Tournai, their artistic source, influenced a very broad region downwards the Scheldt basin.117 Several factors played a role in the spread of the Scheldt Gothic style along the Scheldt. The flourishing cities on the one hand started to build in this local style. On the other hand, the valley of the Scheldt contained many qualitative building materials, like the Tournai stone, which were transported by the Scheldt.118 It influenced every region that could import the Tournai stone, from French Flanders to Antwerp. The Scheldt was thus a tool to spread the Scheldt Gothic and its characteristic materials. However, the Scheldt Gothic only knew a short existence in the 13th and 14th century due to the upcoming presence of the classic French Gothic.119 In the 19th century, the St Luke movement and the St Thomas and St Luke guild, an association of Christian artists, promoted and used this local style in 116 LEMAIRE, Raymond, Gids voor de kunst in België. Antwerpen, Prisma boeken, 1964, p.34 117 Coomans, Thomas, “L’art ‘scaldien’: origine, développement et validité d’une école artistique”, in: Ludovic Nys & Dominique Vanwijnsberghe (eds.), Campin in Context. Peinture et société dans la vallée de l’Escaut à l’époque de Robert Campin, 1375-1445. Actes du Colloque international, Tournai, 30 mars-1er avril 2006 (Séminaire d’histoire de l’art de l’Institut royal du patrimoine artistique, 7), Valenciennes-Bruxelles-Tournai, 2007, p. 15 118 BUYLE, Marjan & COOMANS, Thomas & ESTHER, Jan & GENICOT, Luc-Francis & PAUWELS, Oswald, Gotische architectuur in België, Tielt, Lannoo, 1997, p.47-48 119 LEMAIRE, Raymond, Gids voor de kunst in België. Antwerpen, Prisma boeken, 1964, p.38 Fig. 92 Mural painting, atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, s.d.
their neo-Gothic buildings.120 The style was characterised by soft pointed arch windows, transept chapels, a triforium, heavy columns with Tournai capitals, local materials such as Tournai stone and Scheldt bricks, round staircase towers and a crossing tower with a square and octagonal plan. Despite the search for light and the lightening of the structure, the style was still strongly connected to the Romanesque architecture. Almost all the elements were also present in Van Assche’s design. High Victorian Style 120 Coomans, Thomas, “L’art ‘scaldien’: origine, développement et validité d’une école artistique”, in: Ludovic Nys & Dominique Vanwijnsberghe (eds.), Campin in Context. Peinture et société dans la vallée de l’Escaut à l’époque de Robert Campin, 1375-1445. Actes du Colloque international, Tournai, 30 mars-1er avril 2006 (Séminaire d’histoire de l’art de l’Institut royal du patrimoine artistique, 7), Valenciennes-Bruxelles-Tournai, 2007, p. 16
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The interior of the Saint Joseph church is influenced by the English High Victorian style, spread by publications from John Ruskin and George Edmund Street, who idealized the colourful italian architecture from the Middle Ages. The style became popular from the 1850’s, a period characterised by strong effects and muscularity, translated into strong geometric shapes and heavy colour contrasts. The first person who introduced this style in Belgium was Edward Pugin, son of Augustus Welby Northmore, namely in the exterior of the basilica of Dadizele in 1859. Bressers designed geometric patterns for the bricks in shades of yellow, red and green (Fig. 92, Fig. 96).121 It is possible that Van Assche and Bressers have been influenced by this style, since the St Luke movement was also involved in the construction process of Dadizeles basilica. Instead of a constructive polychromy with different types of bricks, the bricks were painted.122 It could be due to financial problems or a lack of knowledge on this style.
4.1.5. From building permission to building
Two years after the formation of the parish St Joseph, architect Van Assche sent a perspective drawing of the church to the Church Fabric (Fig.75).123 Van Assche explained the concepts through correspondence: “the public space in front of the church will be 15 meters in length and the width of the church will be 25 meters at the level of the transepts. The style will be neo-Gothic. The building can 121 Leuven, KADOC, Archief Atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, 513 122 DE MAEYER, jan & WOUTERS, Wilfried & VERPOEST, Luc & BAUER, Raoul. De Sint-Lucasscholen en de Neogotiek 1862-1914, Leuven, Universitaire pers Leuven, 1988, p.43-45 123 Perspective of the church by Auguste Van Assche in order of the Church Fabric, 4 march 1873. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw Fig. 93 Alternative Floor plan, s.d. Fig. 94 Alternative east façade, s.d.
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host 1925 persons and is made out of Scheldt brick.” 124 Afterwards, he sent a set of plans125 with additional comments126 to his clients. Van Assche specified the length (62 meters) and the width (31 meter, 5 meter wider than originally) of the church at the level of the transept. The church would be constructed in “Medieval style of the 18th century” and would have the shape of a cross with an oriented choir, two transepts and two side naves. The lower part of the church could host approximately 2400 persons. The tower would be supported by four large pillars and Van Assche would use Scheldt bricks for the walls and stones from Soignies or Tournai for the outer finishing layer. The church would cost 250 000 BEF in total. The construction specifications gave further insight on the used materials such as “Kareel” stone and red “Boomse Paepe” stone as bricks, on the origin and the proportions of materials and on the execution method and the general requests for the construction works.127
124 Letter from Auguste Van Assche to the Church Fabric of St Joseph, 5 November 1873. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, i. Varia 125 Set of plans (groundplan, elevations, sections) of the church, 14 March 1874. Approved by the church fabric on 19 march 1874, approved by the royal commission of monuments and sites, 10 october 1874, approved by the ministry of justice in 1875 under the number n° 13937. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw, 7 126 Announcement of the study of the plans, elevations and sections of the new Church of St Joseph, to the president and members of the Church Fabric of St Joseph by Auguste Van Assche. A copy was made for the secretary of the Church Fabric, for the registrar of the province of East Flanders and for the secretary of the city of Ghent Gent, 19 March 1874. Stadsarchief Gent, leeszaal: Modern archief, P/63 Erediensten, P/324 127 Specifications, 12 February 1875. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw Fig. 95 Draft of the design of the windows, s.d. Fig. 96 Mural painting, atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, s.d.
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It is remarkable that the plans for the development of the neighbourhood only finalised in 1878, while Count de t’ Serclaes, governor of East Flanders, already gave the building permission for the construction of the church on 6 july 1875.128 The donation of the plot by Joseph and Charles de Hemptinne in 1874, together with the requirement to construct the parish church within ten years, was officially approved in 1876 after the obtained building permission of the governor. 129
The Church Fabric struggled from the beginning with financial problems. The city council refused to sponsor and the Church Fabric needed to count on numerous gifts from the neighbourhood, the bishop of Ghent, Joseph de Hemptinne 130, the province of East Flanders and the minister of Justice.131 Even when they still needed 90 000 BEF, the Church Fabric decided to start the works on 17 April 1875.132 Despite the constant search for money, the costs raised to 430 000 BEF because of all the detailed crafts such as mural paintings and moulures but also because of the high tower. At one point, the Council of Ghent asked the Church Fabric if such a luxury was necessary.133 128 Official permission for the construction of the church from the governor of East Flanders, 6 july 1875. Gent, Stadsarchief Gent, leeszaal: Modern archief, P/63 Erediensten, P/324 129 Donation of the ground by Charles and Joseph de Hemptinne to the Church Fabric of St Joseph, 16 November 1874 & Approval of the donation, 25 september 1876. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, a. verwerving 130 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, b. financiëring 131 Gent, Stadsarchief Gent, leeszaal: Modern archief, P/63 Erediensten, P/324 132 Request to start the construction works of the St Joseph church, from the Church Fabric to the city council of Ghent, 17 april 1875. Gent, Stadsarchief Gent, leeszaal: Modern archief, P/324 133 Answer of council of Ghent on demand from Church Fabric to borrow money, 26 September 1881. Gent, Stadsarchief Gent, leeszaal: Modern archief, P/63 Erediensten, P/324
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Besides the client’s financial problems, there were also structural issues. Some of the supporting vaults of the crypt collapsed in 1877. According to mr. Hofman, director of Ghent city works, the vaults were executed in a rough and uncareful way. The expert advised to take measurements in order to avoid such tragedies to happen in the future.134 The design of the church also changed during the construction works. The choir received a complete straight wall and the sacristies were located next to the choir without the addition of extra foundations. It is not clear when the additional plan was made. 135 Because of all the financial problems, structural difficulties and changes in the design, the first stone of the St Joseph church was only consecrated in 1880 in the presence of priest Aloïs Joos, the rest of the Church Fabric and Joseph de Hemptinne. This moment was officially acknowledged as the “official starts of the works”.136 The church was inaugurated by Mgr. De Battice in 1883 and Mgr. Stillemans consecrated the whole church in 1891.137 The official construction period endured 9 years, from 1874 until 1883. The only request of de Hemptinne, “the building process should maximum endure ten years”, was at least fulfilled. However, the building was not yet completely finished. The furniture was made between 1884 and 1911 by Mathias Zens’ atelier and the stained glass windows from 134 Gent, Stadsarchief Gent, leeszaal: Modern archief, P/63 Erediensten, P/324 135 Alternative plan, s.d. . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw 136 Record of the consacration of the first stone of the St Joseph church, 9 May 1880. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, a. verwerving 137 Summary of construction of church and tower. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, e. Varia Fig. 97 View from the ship towards the choir, s.d.
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Joseph Casiers’ atelier were placed between 1908 and 1911. The design of the windows was harmonious, expressive and in medieval style without archaism.138 It is not known when the atelier Bressers(-Blanchaert) executed the mural paintings, but they were already present during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the parish St Joseph in 1908.139 The consecration of the organ, made by the Antwerp atelier Geurts in cooperation with Pieter Wieme for the world exhibition in 1913, stands for the unofficial finalisation of the construction of the St Joseph church.140 The original design of the tower was high and pointed but never received this shape due to instability of the subsoil. A new design, based on the original one, was made by H. Geirnaert in 1913. However, they dispensed the works due the too low capacity of the foundations. The church received a mansard roof instead and was more or less 10m smaller, according to the original plans. 141
4.1.6. From past to present Some photos without date show the splendour of the church. It seems that they were taken in the beginning of the 20th century142. A photo of 1908, taken for the 25th anniversary of the 138 Livres d’ordres de la vitrerie n°2, 11906-1914. Leuven, KADOC, familiearchief Joseph Casier,146/2 139 Photo during the celebration for the 25th aniversary of the parish St Joseph, 1908. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, photos 140 Program of consecration of the organ, 15 July 1913. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, orgel 141 Summary of the construction of the church and tower. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, e. Varia 142 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, photos
Fig. 98 Interior of St Joseph church during mass, first half of 20th century Fig. 99 >> Furniture layout comparison schemes, current and original
St Joseph parish, shows a decorated church with sculptures next to the pillars, flags and pennants in the ship and chairs filling the whole space (Fig.98).143 The religious furniture was placed according to the rules of the first Vatican Council (1867-1870), the Tridentine layout. A schematic plan (p.110) shows the church, divided in three large parts. The vestibule was the entrance of the church but also the place where the poor could shelter from rain and wind. The ship was the part where the parishioners were allowed. The burial chapel was located on the left side and the font on the right side. The confession boxes were placed in the aisles while the statues of the Saints stood next to the pillars, turned towards the ship. The transept was still accessible for parishioners but the communion rails separated the ship from the choir. The choir contained the four choir stalls for the clergy and the nobility and there were chairs for the priest, the curates and the acolytes. However, it is not sure if the position of these chairs is completely correct. The church had five altars, three in the choir and two in the transepts. Today, the layout of the church is based on the second Vatican council, that modernised the Catholic Church. It allowed the parishioner to enter the choir and an additional altar for the priest was placed towards the ship. The priest spoke from that moment on towards his parishioners and masses were done in the regional language instead of Latin. Following scheme show second and current layout (p.111).
143 Photo during the celebration for the 25th aniversary of the parish St Joseph, 1908. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, photos
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Altar of Our Lady
Altar of the Holy family
High altar
Altar of St Antonius
Altar of St Joseph
Communion rail
S Je tatu su e s C of hr ist S O tat G ur ue rie La of f dy of
Confessional box
St St atu Jo e o se f ph
Communion rail
s of ntiu ue e at nc St t Vi S
Confessional box
Communion rail
of y ue d at La ild St ur Ch O ith w
Communion rail
Choir stall
Choir stall
Acolyte seats
Choir stall
Choir stall
Clergy seats
Burial Chapel
0
1
Font
2
6m
S St tatu Th e er of es ia
Confessional box
of ue at ta St t Ri S
Confessional box
Pulpit
Altar of Our Lady
Communion rail
Communion rail
Communion rail
Clergy seats
Clergy seats
Communion rail
Acolyte seats
Altar of the Holy family
High altar
Altar of St Antonius
Altar of St Joseph Additional altar Statue of Our Lady of Grief
Statue of Confessional St Joseph box
Confessional Statue of St Vincentius box
Confessional box
Statue of Confessional Our Lady box with Child
Statue of Jesus Christ
Pulpit
Choir stall
Choir stall
Choir stall
6m
Choir stall
S St tatu Th e e r of es ia
0
of ue at ta St t Ri S
1
2
Font
4.1.8. Protection
Since January 31st 2003 , the church is protected as a monument by the Flemish Region because of its artistic, (building)historic, social-cultural and folkloric value.144 It was part of a priority list of 19th century church architecture in Flanders from which the protection was absolutely necessary.145
4.1.7. Building phases The building phases of the St Joseph church were relatively easy to determine since almost everything stayed unchanged. The first phase is the construction of the church (1874-1883). The church itself was finished but a large part of the religious furniture and the windows were missing. The second phase contains these additions during 1884 and 1911, which includes the largest part of the furniture, the stainedglass windows and the mural paintings. We take such a large period because every addition was based on the same St Luke principles. The third phase is the inauguration of the organ, instated for the world exhibition in 1913. This phase is at the same time the heyday, since that moment showed the church with pomp 144 Protection file, 31 January 2003. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, f. beschermingsdossier 145 COOMANS, Thomas, Kerken in neostijlen in Vlaanderen : ontwikkeling en implementatie van een methodologie voor de bescherming en de monumentenzorg van het negentiende-eeuwse kerkelijk architecturaal patrimonium in Vlaanderen, s.n., 2003, p.27
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and circumstance. Every detail of the church was at that moment finished, representing an ideal parish church according to the St Luke movement, and the impressive organ was the crown jewel of a long construction process. Furthermore, 1913 is also considered as the end of the “long 19th century”, before the first World War and afterwards the rapidly modernising 20th century started. The fourth phase is linked to the refurbishments of the sacristy, probably in the middle of the 20th century. The fifth and last phase of 2013 contains the refurbishment of the day chapel into a chapel for the Togolese community. None of these two phases show respect for the previous building phases.
BP1 1874-1883 BP2 1908-1911 BP3 1913 BP4 middle 20th century BP5 2013 Fig. 100 > Building phases schemes: ground floor, cross and longitudinal section, all four façades
6m 2 1 0
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4.2. Current 4.2.1. Inventory
The inventory aims to give an objective overview of all the elements of the church. It starts with the building, specifies towards the spaces and ends with the details, namely the furniture, the mural paintings and the windows. It is based on site visits and archival sources. The whole inventory can be found in annex A. The following text gives a summary of the inventory itself.
Exterior The Reformed Gothic church in the Wondelgemstraat, Gent, is built by Auguste Van Assche from 1875 until 1883. The total length is 63,67m, the width at the transepts is 31,65m and the total height at the tower is 36,52m. The building is one of the most suitable examples of, according to the St Luke movement, an ideal medieval parish church. Above all, the architect used here the 13th14th century Scheldt gothic, the local Early Gothic style used in the Scheldt valley. The following elements refer to this specific style. The oriented cruciform church consists of a three nave ship with five bays, a transept with one bay and side chapels, a three nave hall choir with three bays, two annexes next to the choir and a celebration tower at the crossing of transept, ship and choir. The middle aisle, choir and side choirs are covered with a saddle roof, the other parts with a pent-roof.
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The façades have a Tournai limestone plinth and a combination of brownish bricks and reddish bricks details the façades. The west gabled façades is flanked by two polygonal tower staircases with a slated peak. The middle part contains a pointed arch portal with archivolts in stained glass, a St Joseph statue on the upper part, a large pointed arch window with detailed tracery and three integrated oculi in the middle dominates and a balcony on the second level, accessible by the towers. The two naves with pent-roof consists of three pointed arch windows in stained-glass. The north and south façades are similar. The five bays in the ship, containing again the combination of three pointed arch windows, are separated by buttresses. This is the same for the three bays in the choir. The transept with one bay has a stained glass window covering the whole upper part. The sacristy and day chapel are only one level high, have a pent-roof and a round staircase tower is located next to the two entrance doors. One door is the side entrance for the day chapel, sacristy and the choir and the other door leads to the patio and the crypt. The east gabled façades ends the hall choir Fig. 101 View towards the north façade of the church, 27-02-2016 Fig. 102 View towards the east façade of the church, 27-02-2016 Fig. 103 > View towards the front façade of the church, 27-02-2016
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106
Fig.105
Fig.104
and contains of three combinations of three large stained glass windows, separated by buttresses. The middle window with detailed tracery has an oculus. The crossing tower goes from a square plan to an octogonal plan and has a mansard roof.146 The cruciform church kept its original shape and no adaptations or alterations were done on its configuration. Only the public space and the fences around the church had to move for parking lots.
Interior Spaces The ‘material church’ contains the vestibule, the ship (nave and aisles), the transept and the choir. All those spaces are defined as primary spaces. The other spaces are defined as secondary since they support the primary spaces. These are the sacristy, the day chapel for the Togolese Church, the patio, the crypt and the tower. Church The church is conceived as one piece of art. All the primary subspaces form one large space and have the same materials. The High Victorian style is present in the colourful painted upper brick walls, the multi-coloured floor tiles and the beautiful stained glass windows. Both floor and walls have reddish, yellow, blue/black integrated colours. The floor of the transept, choir and ship, is partially covered with a yellow tapestry. Also the mural paintings above the Tournai plinth are very bright and detailed. Wooden vaults, finely decorated with leaf motives, cover the ceiling. The level of detail is for each element very high. 146 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Parochiekerk Sint-Jozef. In Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https:// id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/18634 , accessed 27 May 2016 Fig. 104 < View towards the choir Fig. 105 View towards the organ Fig. 106 The crypt underneath the church Fig. 107 The mansard roof from the tower
The combination of the Scheldt Gothic with the High Victorian Style makes the St Joseph church unique. It proofs the style evolution from archaeological neo-Gothic to Reformed Gothic. The organ space is part of the church and is situated on the balcony above the vestibule. It is accessible by two staircase towers.
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Fig.108
Sacristy The sacristy is refurbished and re-divided. It has a linoleum floor, white painted wall, plaster vaults, wooden closets and stainedglass windows. The other part of the sacristy has cement tiles and consists of a washbasin and a toilette. Side entrance The side entrances give access to the choir. A blue stone stair dominates the space. Cracks appear in the common wall that separates the entrance from the sacristy and from the Togolese Church. Court The courts outside are accessible by the side entrances and give access to the towers towards the roof and the crypt. Crypt All the elements in the crypt are constructed in white painted bricks. There is barely daylight and the entrance is via the court. Since the crypt is only partially under ground level, it lifts the church more or less 1,5m upwards (Fig.106).
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Attic and tower The roof and the tower are constructed in wood and bricks. The entrance is via the towers in the court. The tower is in good condition, although it is dangerous to walk due to a lack of safety bars (Fig. 107). Furniture The religious furniture are all the movable elements in the church, but do not include other elements outside the space. However, all the valuable pieces are present. The inventory is made with the help of existing inventories and site visits. This following categories represent most of the furniture and an additional category embraces the remaining pieces. Altars The five neo-Gothic altars are made by Mathias Zens, at the end of the 19th or the beginning of the 20th century.147 The altar of 147 Inventory of all movable elements, made by the Church Fabric, 1983 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-JozeFig. 108 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Head Tabernacle, made by Mathias Zens
Fig.109
Fig.110
St Antonius is located in the left transept, the altar of St Joseph in the right transept, the altar of Mary in the left choir aisle, the head retable in the choir and the altar of the Holy family in the right choir aisle. All the altars are still standing on their original position. They are all very detailed oak sculptures, finished with paint and gold leaf. Christian iconography dominates the altars. Monograms such as XPS, IHS, MR or JR refer to Christ, Mary and Joseph. Latin texts are present. Figures such as saints have a less archaic form and show that also Zens is influenced by the Reformed Gothic. Furthermore, symbols refer to biblical characters and scenes or contain messages. The Lamb, injured at the neck with a jet blood pouring down into a goblet, symbolises the triumphator and is present at the base of the head retable (Fig. 108).148 The upper part of the altar of St Joseph contains carvings of workmen tools, referring to the patron saint St Joseph. Confessional boxes There are five confessional boxes in the church, four made by Mathias Zens. The four oak confessionals (288cm x 125cm x 283cm) are made in 1909, contain always two different undetermined statues in a niche and are situated in the side aisles of the ship, on their original spot. The fifth one (240cm x 100cm x 250cm, 500kg) is made from old church furniture. The figures are more archaic than the ones of Zens and that’s why this confessional box could be from an earlier era, as a ‘temporary’ solution before 1909. It is located in the choirs right side aisle (Fig. 113).149 fparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, b. inventaris 148 CLOQUET, Louis, Eléments d’iconographie chrétienne : types symboliques. Lille, Société de Saint-Augustin. Desclée, De Brouwer, 1891, p.53-56 149 Inventory of all movable elements, made by the Church Fabric, 1983 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel Fig. 109 Flag of red velvet with religious scene Fig. 110 One of the four identical offertory boxes made by Zens
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Fig.115 Fig.114 Fig.112 Fig.113
Fig.111
Choir stalls Five oak choir stalls (344cm x 145cm x 210cm, 1500kg) from 1909 are made by Mathias Zens. They were originally only used by clergy and nobility and placed in the choir but now situated in the right side aisle of the nave (Fig.111).150 Communion rails Four communion rails are now located in front of the altars in the choir. Originally, they separated the choir from the ship. Two (307cm x 55cm x 86cm, 100kg) are made by Mathias Zens in 1911, but the production date is unknown. The low knee benches are finished with red velvet. Each communion rail contains carvings of flowers and leaves. The two others (410cm x 50cm x 87cm, 250kg) are donated in 1919 by Paul Madou and made by Pieter Wiems. The iron gates and the little curtains disappeared. These rails even have a more detailed filigrane structure than the two from Zens (Fig.115).151 Statues St Joseph, Jesus Christ, Our Lady With child, Our Lady of Grief, St Vincentius, St Rita and St Theresia are represented in the church as statues. Some statues are standing in an oak chapel or canopy from Mathias Zens. The precise production date of statues and oak IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, b. inventaris 150 Inventory of all movable elements, made by the Church Fabric, 1983 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, b. inventaris 151 Inventory of all movable elements, made by the Church Fabric, 1983 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, b. inventaris Fig. 111 Choir stalls made by Mathias Zens in 1909 Fig. 112 Statue of St Joseph on a canopy Fig. 113 Confessional box made by Mathias Zens in 1909
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elements is not known but it is certain that the statues of St Rita and St Theresia came after 1908 and the other ones before that date.152 St Rita and St Theresia are less detailed than the others, which are painted in bright colours and finished with gold leaf (Fig. 112). Offertory boxes The oak offertory boxes (40cm x 40cm x 105cm) are again made by Mathias Zens. There are in total four identicals and one with another design. The offertory boxes are spread in the church (Fig. 110).153 Organ The organ is made by sculptor Pieter Wieme and the company Geurs from Berchem for the world exhibition in 1913 and transported to and consecrated in the St Joseph church in the same year. It is a mechanical and pneumatic
system with 27 registers, 2 claviers and pedal system (Fig. 114).154 Chairs The following set of chair were only used by the priest, his curates and acolytes. Two oak choir seats (62cm x 100cm, 7kg) with armrests have the monograms IHS and M from Christ and Mary carved on the back of the chairs. Two oak choir seats (50cm x 90cm, 6kg) and six oak acolyte chairs (38cm, 3kg) also belong to the set. The seat, back and arm rests of the chairs are finished with red velvet and are situated in the choir. The production date and maker are unknown. 154 Inventory of all movable elements, made by the Church Fabric, 1983 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, b. inventaris
152 Photo during the celebration for the 25th aniversary of the parish St Joseph, 1908. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, photos 153 Inventory of all movable elements, made by the Church Fabric, 1983 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, b. inventaris Fig. 114 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Organ Fig. 115 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Communion rails, donated by Paul Madou in 1919
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Fig.117, 118
Fig.116
Pulpit The oak pulpit (140cm x 400cm) is made in 1908 by Mathias Zens. The base is in marble and finished with colourful and highly detailed tiles of an animal, a wolf or a dog. Each side of the pulpit represents a biblical tableau. The corners are decorated with carved statues of the four evangelists. The carving in the rooflet is a dove which represents the Holy Spirit in person, the third person of the Holy Trinity. It stands in between the nave and the right aisle of the ship (Fig. 116). Flags There is not much known about the flags and pendants but they are seven and positioned in the choir (Fig. 109). Others These groups consists of wooden panels with portraits, candlesticks, candle stands, fences, fonts, handles, a censor, etc. . Further detailed information for each element can be found in annex A. Mural paintings The atelier Bressers(-Blanchaert) decorated the whole lower part of the church with mural paintings. The inventory gives an overview of the most important symbols, the Way of the Cross, the commemoration painting and the general used pattern. Additional information, based on Louis Cloquet’s “Eléments d’iconographie chrétienne : types symboliques”155 are added. Symbols The symbols are situated at the upper part of the mural paintings and appear alone or by two on one part of the wall. They are located in the choir and painted on a canvas before glueing it on the wall. Two figures on one part of the wall always 155 CLOQUET, Louis, Eléments d’iconographie chrétienne : types symboliques. Lille, Société de Saint-Augustin. Desclée, De Brouwer, 1891 Fig. 116 Pulpit made in 1908 by Mathias Zens Fig. 117 Arbor Vitae Fig. 118 Serpent
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Fig.119 Fig.121
Fig.120
belong together and transmit a biblical message: »» The Serpent and the Arbor Vitae, representing the biblical story of Adam and Eve (Fig. 117-118) »» The Holy Grail and the Holy Blood, corresponding to the Last Supper »» Ora and Labora, giving advice that you have to pray and work »» The Lamb in flames and the Grapes and Wheat »» The Holy Menorah and the Hand of God, where the Holy Menorah is also considered as the Hand of God156 The other symbols are transmitting a message on their own: »» The Pelican as symbol of Resurrection, bringing its young ones back to life157 »» The Lamb with wounded neck and a jet blood poured in a goblet, symbolising the Triumphator158 »» The two angles »» The ten pieces of bread Wall pattern The Eagle symbolises Jesus as King of the Air. The Unicorn symbolises the incarnation of the charm of virgin Mary and is the emblem of virginity.159 Both are the pattern of a tapestry, referring to the textile industry of Ghent Fig. 119).
156 http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Tetzaveh/Menorah/menorah.html , accessed 28 May 2016 157 CLOQUET, Louis, Eléments d’iconographie chrétienne : types symboliques. Lille, Société de Saint-Augustin. Desclée, De Brouwer, 1891, p.57 158 CLOQUET, Louis, Eléments d’iconographie chrétienne : types symboliques. Lille, Société de Saint-Augustin. Desclée, De Brouwer, 1891, p.53-57 159 CLOQUET, Louis, Eléments d’iconographie chrétienne : types symboliques. Lille, Société de Saint-Augustin. Desclée, De Brouwer, 1891, p.59-60, p.350351 Fig. 119 Mural painting pattern Fig. 120 Way of the Cross, Act of Love, painted by M. Coppejans Fig. 121 Jesus is taken from the Cross by Mary, Joseph and Mary Magdalene
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Fig.122
Fig.124
Fig.123
on the north wall, proceeding on the west façades and ending on the south wall (Fig. 120-121). Commemoration The mural painting commemorates all the persons died during the First World War, made after 1918. It is located in the former burial chapel, in the front of the left aisle.
Monograms Four large monograms are painted above the pointed arches: »» A & O are painted on the wall of the ship. The monogram represents the Alfa and the Omega, the beginning and the end »» The monogram M stands for Mary, Mother of Christ and is situated in the left transept »» The monogram SJ stands for Saint Joseph and is situated in the right transept Way of the Cross The way of the Cross is a set of 14 biblical scenes, explaining the last day of Jesus, from his condemnation until his burial. There are different acts (love, hope, faith) and additional texts included. All the portraits are painted on canvas by M. Coppejans and attached to the wall. The precise date of the serie is not known but it was already there when the stained glass windows were placed from 1908 until 1911.160 The portraits are situated in the ship, starting 160 Livres d’ordres de la vitrerie n°2, 11906-1914. Leuven, KADOC, familiearchief Joseph Casier,146/2
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Stained glass windows The stained glass windows are characterising the church. The vivid colours were difficult to obtain, especially the green. The atelier of Joseph Casier was responsible for the production between 1908 and 1911. The windows in the transepts, the choir and the front façades are more detailed. Saints, prophets, biblical scenes and the tree of Jesse are represented.161 It is remarkable that the figures are again not as archaic as Bethune’s designs. The window in the left choir aisle represents biblical scenes, the window under the head tabernacle combines biblical scenes of Christ with saints and prophets and the window above the altar of the Holy Family represents the tree of Jesse, which includes all the ancestors of Our Lady and is clearly linked to the altar underneath. The other windows in the transept and west façades represent saints (Fig. 122). The inventory defines the different figures and scenes but further research could explain them more in depth. The other windows are made from stained glass but only contain patterns and are not included in the inventory.
161 Livres d’ordres de la vitrerie n°2, 11906-1914. Leuven, KADOC, familiearchief Joseph Casier,146/2 Fig. 122 Window on the right side of the east façade, representing the tree of Jesse Fig. 123 > Choir stall, detail
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4.2.2. Comparison Religious buildings Since Van Assche is mostly known as restoration architect, there are many religious building he restored. The parish church of Our Lady in Deinze and the decanal church of Our Lady from Pamele are two buildings originally built in the 14th century, situated in the Scheldt valley, designed in Scheldt gothic and restored by Van Assche in the second part of the 19th century. It is due to his restoration and the comparable characteristics in the configuration, that those two churches are compared with the St Joseph church. The third one is a church built by William Butterfield in the 19th century, the All Saints church in London. This church is completely designed in High Victorian style with ‘structural polychromy’. The St Joseph church has a similar interior. Luckily, it was possible to visit the All Saints church but this was unfortunately not the case for the two other churches. Church of Our Lady, Deinze The decanal church of Our Lady in Deinze is rebuilt in the 14th century in Scheldt gothic, probably after the fire of 1327. Deinze is situated between the Scheldt and the Leie, and probably influenced by the Tournai school. After periods of damage, rebuilding and demolition, between 1862 and 1906 the church was heavily restored to its original building phase by Auguste Van Assche. The church is very similar to the St Joseph church, although the one is built in the 14th and the other in the 19th century. For sure, Van Assche learned from this building to design the St Joseph church. Many elements are present in the St Joseph church and are characteristics of the Scheldt Gothic. The church in Deinze is a basilical church with a cross tower, that goes from Fig. 124 < The interior of Saint Joseph church, Ghent Fig. 125 Exterior view of church of Our Lady in Deinze Fig. 126 Interior view of church of Our Lady in Deinze
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square to an octagonal plan. The designed tower of St Joseph, that never received this shape, looked completely the same. The outer layer is in Tournai stone, a stone also used in the plinth of the St Joseph church and referring both to Tournai and the Scheldt basin. Van Assche completely restored the west façades which received two tower stairs and a pointed arch entrance with small pillars. The interior consists of robust pillars with Tournai capitals and polychrome mural paintings in the choir, made by Léon Bressers in 1913. Van Assche also demolished the stone vaults and rebuilt the wooden vaults in the interior, based on found remainings on site (Fig.125-126).162 Church of Our Lady from Pamele, Oudenaarde This 1234’s parish church is completely built in in Scheldt gothic since Oudenaarde is located in the Scheldt valley. The church is again restored by Van Assche between 1877 and 1904. He demolished the Renaissance portal in 1878, added a sacristy, made some important interventions in the interior and designed a large part of the furniture such as altars, communion rails, choir stalls and portal door. The plan is again a basilica church with three naves and four bays in the ship, a projecting transept with two staircase towers and a choir with choir aisles. The church is restored at the same time as the construction of the St Joseph church and it is clear that Van Assche used the same style to restore the church of Our Lady from Pamele. In general, Van Assche clearly marks its designs by using always the same style elements (Fig. 127).163 162 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Decanale kerk van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw. In Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/38013 , accessed 26 May 2016 163 Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Parochiekerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Pamele. In Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/27291 , accessed 26 May 2016 Fig. 127 Exterior view from church of Our Lady from Pamele in Oudenaarde Fig. 128 View from the outside of the All Saints church Fig. 129 The interior space of the All Saints church
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All Saints Church, London William Butterfield is inextricably connected with the High Victorian style. The All Saints church is considered as his masterpiece and the pioneering building of this style from 1850 until 1870 in Great-Britain.The religious building is the first example of ‘structural polychromy’ in London, where decoration is built in the structure by the use of different materials.164 The outer wall is a combination of yellow, black and red bricks, shaping a pattern. The exterior of the St Joseph church also combines brownish with reddish bricks to detail the windows and the towers. The interior of the All Saints church is richly decorated with a mixture of marble and tiles, shaping biblical scenes and geometric patterns on walls and floor. Van Assche seemed inspired by this example and it could be a specific influence
since Butterfield published many articles on the High Victorian style. Van Assche also incorporated a multitude of different colours in the brick walls and tiled floor. However, the St Joseph church does not reach similar level of detail as the All Saints church, since the bricks are painted, the tiles are less detailed and the biblical scenes and references are also painted instead of integrated in the structure. It is nevertheless a very precious example of polychromy still present in Belgium. It shows how also St Luke architects started to experiment with other influences and used the more free Reformed Gothic. Van Assche is thus also a pioneer like Butterfield, although the execution was less detailed and impressive than the All Saints church (Fig. 128-130).
164 All Saints church, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ ”All_Saints,_Margaret_Street”, accessed 24 May 2016 Fig. 130 The interior space of the All Saints church
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4.3. Conclusion The St Joseph church is a remarkable example of a cooperation between different stakeholders that all strive for one goal, the construction of an ideal parish church. The group of Ultramontanes, Vincentians and St Luke artists combined their forces to construct a church that would moralize the textile workers, contribute to the revival of an harmonic Christian class society and include the five principles of the St Luke education: Catholic basis, national character, one style, architecture as mother of all arts and unity of conception and execution. Several people from those organisations were involved in the construction of the church. Architect Auguste Van Assche was, thanks to previous cooperation, in close contact with Jean Baptiste Bethune, promoter of neoGothic in Belgium. Other involved artists such as stained glass artist Joseph Casier, painters Adriaan Hubert and Leon Bressers and sculptor Mathias Zens belonged to the first and second St Luke generation. This group had strong bonds with Joseph de Hemptinne, textile baron and Ghent leader of the Vincentians and Ultramontanes. Together with Aloïs Joos, he fought for the construction of the parish and church of St Joseph. He donated ground, bricks and money to the Church Fabric, the later owner. The whole group was supported by the minister of Justice and the governor of East Flanders, both from the Catholic party, but was sabotaged by the Liberal city council of Ghent. A large amount of correspondence letters demonstrates the tension between the Liberals and the (ultra-) Catholics. Due to this difficult relationship, it took from 1866 until 1871 to establish officially the parish St Joseph, under conditions of the city council. Van Assche made between 1871 and 1872 several designs, which evolved towards four elaborated proposals from 1872 and 1873. The official plans from 1874 are based on the ‘ideal medieval church’. Van Assche designed a three nave, oriented cruciform church with a pointed tower on the crossing. The material church was a perfect translation of the spiritual church. The vestibule referred to the suffering church,
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the ship to the struggling church and the choir to the triumphing church. The church was designed in Scheldt Gothic, a style used in the 13th and 14th century in Flanders. Soft pointed arch windows, transept chapels, heavy columns with Tournai capitals, polygonal staircase towers at the main entrance, a crossing tower and local materials such as Tournai stone and Scheldt bricks, were all elements referring to this local Early Gothic style. The interior of the church was very colourful designed, according to the drawings of Bressers. The brick walls were painted in yellow, red and black, forming geometric patterns. It was combined with colorful mural paintings, containing many Catholic symbols. This polychromy was probably influenced by the exterior of the basilica of Dadizele by Edward Pugin and the publications from William Butterfield, that constructed the All Saints church in London. The combination of a sober, predictable Scheldt Gothic for exterior and the configuration with the colourful, experimental High Victorian style indicates the church is Reformed Gothic. The governor of East Flanders gave the building permission for the construction of the church in 1875, four years after the establishment of the parish. During the building process, the Church Fabric struggled with financial problems due to the crafts, specific materials and the construction of the high tower. There were also structural difficulties. The vaults collapsed due to careless execution and the tower never became as high as designed, due to too weak foundations and unstable subsoil. It received a mansard roof instead of a pointed roof. The architect also changed the design of the church during the execution works, by replacing the sacristy and the day chapel to the south and north façade. Because of all those difficulties, the first stone was placed in 1880 and the church was only inaugurated in 1883. The official construction period endured 9 years, from 1874 until 1883. However, the building was only completely finished in 1913, with the transportation of the organ from the world exhibition. All the mural paintings, the furniture and the stained
glass windows were placed between 1884 and 1911. Since 2003, the church is protected as a monument by the Flemish Region. Thanks to the preservation of all the furniture, it is possible to compare the Tridentine layout, before the second Vatican Council (1962-1965) with the current layout. The original zoning was determined by the religious furniture.
Although more simplified, Van Assche also experimented with this style in the interior of the St Joseph church. He could be even influenced by Butterfield, since the architect published several articles on this style.
Four building phases are distinguishable. The first phase (1874-1883) is the construction of the church, the second (1884-1911) contains all the interior additions to finalise the church as one piece of art and the third phase (1913) refers to the transportation of the organ for the World exhibition. This phase is considered as the heyday of the building, since that moment showed the church with pomp and circumstance, based on the principles of the St Luke movement. The fourth and the fifth phase differ completely from the first three. The fourth is linked to the refurbishment of the sacristy (in the mid 20th century) and the last phase is the change of the day chapel into a chapel for the Togolese community in 2013. None of these phases show respect for the previous building phase. An inventory of the current state includes all the different elements of the building. Building, spaces, furniture, mural paintings and stained glass windows are all inventorised and additional information is included. The chapter ends with a comparison of the St Joseph church with three other churches. The first two buildings, the decanal church of Our Lady in Deinze and the parish church of Our Lady from Pamele in Oudenaarde, are both built in the 14th century and restored by Van Assche in the second part of the 19th century. The link with the Scheldt Gothic is clearly visible. Van Assche learned from those buildings in order to design the St Joseph church. The third building is the All Saints church in London, built by William Butterfield in the 19th century. The exterior and interior are both executed in High Victorian style and it is the first example in London that used â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;structural polychromyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.
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5 Technical analysis
Technical analysis
This chapter incorporates an analysis of the executed survey to collect the necessary data and contains a report on the indoor climate of the church and crypt, a material analysis, pathology analysis and concludes with a state of conservation for the whole building. The chapter tries to solve the following research questions: What is the indoor climate of the church and crypt? Does it affect other spaces, furniture or mural paintings? Are the materials of the building descriptions the same as the executed ones? Does the church have damages? If so, how critical are they? What is the state of conservation?
5.1.1. Aim
5.1. Survey
The main purpose of the technical survey of the church is to collect all the necessary data to understand the complexity of a historic building, to be aware of the heritage values, to complete the missing parts and to present the actual state of conservation. To achieve that, the accuracy of the existing investigated information had to be compared with the actual condition. Based on these preliminary observations, an efficient survey strategy was developed to complete the lacking data and check the accuracy of the existing. First, since there was no correct drawing of the tower nor cross section of the church, the survey aimed at creating a vertical cross section to establish Fig. 131 Orthophoto of the Holy Family altar
the missing link between the crypt, the church and the tower. Second, correct drawings of all façades were necessary since the official plans are not completely correct. Third, the stained glass windows and the furniture have high cultural value but were never completely documented. Tools such as photogrammetry and photo rectification could help in this process. Finally, the interior of the church contains detailed heavily damaged mural paintings. Photo rectified images document the damages in a clear, rapid and efficient way.
5.1.2. Tools
Total Station Total station is an instrument that records 3D coordinates in space. The ‘TheoLt’ app speedens up the process by immediately saving the coordinates in Autocad 3D. The number of measured points are produced manually, which allows higher precision for specific areas. Compared to the 3D laser scanner, it is of course more limited in terms of time and effectiveness, but it is a worthy and reliable alternative to check quickly certain measurements or shapes. In this project, the total station was used to track the original measurements of the interior and exterior of the church. Although the time was limited, enough points were collected to create the floor plan and two missing sections with correct data. It was useful to check particular elements and compare them with the original plans, but also to measure 3D coordinates for photo rectification and photogrammetry purposes.
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3D Laser scanner The laser scanner is in a way an automated version of the total station, which produces a point cloud with 3D-coordinates for each point. It has the ability to rapidly and precisely document every visible corner of the room. For the purpose of this project, laser scanner was used to scan less accessible and difficult measurable parts, such as the tower and the crypt. The rooms have a specific and detailed shape, which are uneasy to measure by hand or laser distance meter. Later on, the point cloud helped producing the longitudinal section and the cross section. Photo camera Photography was applied the most to document and collect information on the church and neighbourhood. It is a fast and easy tool supported in different programs. The camera served to take general pictures of the rooms and to locate the observations as well as to shoot details, such as damages on the walls and the floors. Several basic but qualitatively good pictures of specific areas of the interior and exterior were processed in Photoscan and QGIS to generate sufficient metric information. In order to obtain images that were qualified to derive data, the combination of the right focal length, aperture, ISO sensitivity and the use of flash- and backlights had to be studied to create the best possible conditions to shoot the pictures. There, we experienced several difficulties in achieving the correct image for the future purpose and how much attention one needs to pay to the right equipment for efficient results. Laser distance meter The laser distance meter measures very quickly a distance via laser. It is not as precise as total station because it provides the distance and no 3D coordinate, yet it is useful as a check up tool. The laser distance meter was mostly Fig. 132 Photogrammetry results of the west façade show limitations of the method Fig. 133 3D scan of the crypt processed in Autocad ReCap Fig. 134 Photogrammetry process of the Holy Family altar
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used in the crypt for identification of the basic distances between the foundation pillars and for the height difference between the floor of the crypt and the street level. Latter measurements enabled to merge the survey plans of the crypt with the ones of the interior and exterior of the church. Software The information of the survey was implemented in specialised software. Autocad 3D and Revit were used to process the total station data and 3D laser scans. From these programs the necessary sections, floor plans and certain details were extracted. Although the data were the base for correct plans, in case of merging files from different instruments, the data were not compatible what extended the post-processing period. Photoscan was used to photogrammetry the furniture and some façades of the church and QGIS for photo rectification of the walls with the mural paintings.
5.1.3. Results The survey gave the possibility to finalise the plans in a correct way and the autocad file makes the distinction between surveyed and non surveyed parts. The technical plans are scaled on 1:100 and printed on A0. Secondly, only a small part of the furniture is three dimensionally generated through photogrammetry and presented in the inventory of the movable elements. The same story applies to the damaged walls with mural paintings and windows. Data were sometimes incorrect and the windows were very difficult to document photographically. However, some parts are documented and the method can be used to document them all in the future. Finally, every program has its own limitations. The results of the two different total station were not completely compatible, the HDR pictures did not have the expected result and some photogrammetried furniture elements had large errors in Photoscan.
Fig. 135 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Roof structure extracted from the point cloud
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5.2. Indoor climate 5.2.1. HOBO-meter
Thanks to the department of Building Physics, we had the chance to place small monitor tools in the church and crypt. The HOBO-meters monitored the relative humidity (RH) (%) and the temperature (°c) every ten minutes, from 22 March 2016 until 4 May 2016. The meters were placed on locations without direct sunlight and as far away from entrances and windows as possible. The meter in the church itself was placed underneath the altar, at the height of the crossing tower. The meter in the crypt was situated at the foundations of one of the four large pillars. Both meters were protected from direct daylight and wind. After a month and some days, the meters were taken back to the department and the data were uploaded in excel sheets. In total, 6228 measurements were saved for the church and only 6209 measurements for the crypt, since the meter in the church was placed first. The data of the weather station in Westdorpe165, a Dutch village close to Ghent, gives more insight on the weather during the monitored period. The mean RH (%), the amount of rain (mm), the minimum temperature (°c) and maximum temperature (°c) are selected per day to compare with the monitored indoor climate. All survey data together with the accompanying graphics are included in annex B to this book.
Indoor climate Church The church has both a fluctuating relative humidity and temperature. The relative humidity fluctuates between 45,351% and 77,32%, while the temperatures are between 8,97 °c and 15,99 °c. It is also noticeable that a maximum temperature is followed by a very low relative humidity. The temperature peaks every Saturday evening during the weekly mass. Furthermore, a daily cycle pattern is visible. The temperature is the highest around 7-8 PM and the lowest around 7-8 AM. There is always a minimal difference of 1°c. This delay is caused by the high inertia of the church. The fluctuating RH is concerning, certainly for the mural paintings in case salts are present. The influence of the fluctuating RH on the mural paintings is discussed in chapter 5.5.2.2. . Crypt The climate in the crypt is less clear to analyse. The temperature is between 7,24°c and 11,69°c and contains less peaks and low points. The relative humidity on the other hand is fluctuating between extremes, with data from 49,418% up to 95,56%. The fluctuation but especially the high RH is critical, since this climate suites perfectly a mushroom cultivation but solutions need to be found in order to use the crypt in the reconversion project.
5.2.3. Interpretation
Outdoor climate The relative humidity balanced between 70% and 80%, a normal percentage in this region. The amount of rain fluctuated from 0 to 0,9mm a day. The monitored period contained three peaks of 0,9mm. Rainfall influences the outdoor relative humidity and the polygons of both curves are similar.
Relative humidity Despite the frequent fluctuations of the RH in the church, the polygons (6th power) derived from both graphs show the same curvature, without delay. Because of this, it can be concluded that at this moment, the RH of the crypt does not influence the RH of the church or vice versa. The only influence on the indoor RH of both spaces is the outdoor RH, due to all the openings in the church and crypt, such as the windows.
165 http://projects.knmi.nl/klimatologie/daggegevens/ selectie.cgi , accessed on 28 May 2016
Temperature Despite its high inertia and the high temperature on Saturday evening in the church, the polygons (6th power) derived from both graphs
5.2.2. Results
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show the same curvature, without delay. The temperature of the crypt and the church only depend on the outdoor temperature.
5.2.4. Future
Of course, one month is a short time period to analyse and interpret the indoor and outdoor climate. However, analysing the results gives a preliminary idea of the temperature, RH, influence of the outdoor climate on the indoor climate, influence of the climate of the crypt on the climate of the church and vice versa. The future monitoring period should at least endure
two years to have a clear idea on the indoor and outdoor climate and their relation. Since the church and the crypt will be reused in the future, it is of interest to monitor this transition period. In this way, one can analyse the potential balance change of RH and temperature in the church due to a changed indoor climate of the crypt. If there occurs negative influence, one can intervene to prevent damage to the mural paintings or the furniture.
Fig. 136 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Chandelier detail, view from the organ to the choir
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5.3. Previous restorations
Several sources proof that reparation works were executed from 1925 onwards. First, the roof was repaired in 1924-1926, 1933 and 1948 and small reparations works are still executed on a frequent base. Due to water infiltration, paint was removed from the inner wall and the stains are still visible today. Secondly, The stained glass windows are another weak point of the structure. Leakage made it necessary to repair the windows in 1931, 1984, 1988, 1997 and 1998. Third, the weak foundations of the day chapel, resulting from the design changes during construction works, needed to be stabilized from 1992 until 1997. The archive also mentions “the reparation of the façade of the right transept (red. north side) “ in 1997. It is possibly a reference to the repointing of the joints, also visible in other parts of the building.166 Fourth, the organ had several restorations, in 1947 and 1988, due to water condensation in the pipes.167 Fifth, friar Van Vlasselaer cleaned the mural paintings in 1981, resulting in damages.168 Finally, a not specified fungus control was done in 1991-1993, another fungus control of the roof was executed in 1994. Of course, these are only the restoration works found in archival sources. Additional works were observed on site. Several joints in the masonry have been repointed and some parts of the outer brick layers have been rebuild with pressed bricks. Both interventions caused damages to the building and are explained in the pathology analysis.
166 Gent, Stadsarchief Gent, leeszaal: Modern archief, P/63 Erediensten, XV/250-300, XV/301-309, XV/430441, XV/2001 18, XV/2001 19 167 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, I. Kerk, het orgel 168 Recommendation on the cleaning of the walls and furniture in the church, by friar André Van Vlasselaer, 25 February 1981 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, a. Briefwisselingen
5.4. Material analysis This sub-chapter gives an overview of all identified materials for the Saint Joseph Church. The materials are subdivided in a few categories and further elaborated according to their specific performances, appearance, origin and properties. The information included in this part is adopted from an official building description, present in the Church Archive169, and supplemented with further research and own observations and findings on site. Each category indicates where the materials are used, either inside and/or outside. A summarising table can be found in annex C.
5.4.1. Material overview
Bricks ‘Kareelsteen’ or ‘Tichelsteen’ Characteristics: Solid bricks of well baked clay170 with deep red to brown colour. Application: The masonry of the foundation walls is built in ‘Kareelsteen’ or ‘Tichelsteen’. Assche mortar is used to build up this brickwork. These walls run up until the beginning of the plinth. The same type of bricks is used for the construction of the vaults and floors in the crypt. For these applications cement mortar was applied due to its water repellant performances in the context of the humid characteristics from this partly underground space. For the execution of the cross vaults, ‘Assche mortar’ was used to consolidate the brickwork. Also the load bearing walls and inside parts of columns are conceived in this type of stone, build with ‘gewone mortel’ (‘regular mortar’). All this information is subtracted from the building description, available at the Church Archive.
169 Kohier van lasten, 12 February 1875 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw 170 http://www.vlaamswoordenboek.be/definities/term/ kareelsteen, accessed May 24th, 2016
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‘Mouluresteen’ Characteristics: Bright red brick casted in molds to create ornamental brickwork. Application: ‘Mouluresteen’ has been used to build up the inside parament, framing of the inside and outside windows and the moldings of the arcades above the columns, as well as to construct the niches. In the interior, these bright red bricks have all been hand painted in a different set of colours according to a well devised pattern. This assumption is confirmed on site, whereas several bricks show local damage and pressed out paint. ‘Paepesteen’ Characteristics: Bright red brick used for the construction of load bearing elements. Application: As the building description describes, the vaults in the crossing tower of the church, as well as the internal parts of the four main pillars, are constructed in a red brick, called ‘Rode Boomse Paepesteen’, or ‘Klampsteen’. Observations on site can not confirm this, since the bricks are either finished with other building materials or impossible to reach. Stone Note: The building description makes a distinction between the application of Tournai and Soignies Bluestone, a subdivision taken up in the following subcategories. However, on-site examination shows the impossibility to define a clear, visual difference between both stones. Observations on site do show the existence of a third category, which is not described in the original documents, namely the Tournai Limestone.
Fig. 137 Section of kareelsteen Fig. 138 Mouluresteen used for the construction of rounded arcades Fig. 139 Proposal for painted brick pattern by Bressers Fig. 140 > Mouluresteen of outside window frame
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Soignies Bluestone Characteristics: Belgian bluestone, having a light to dark grey colour. The stone is characterised as small granite, with more homogeneous and grainy texture and constant hue.171 Application: For the stone plinth and the portals at the height of the entrances to the church, blue natural stone called ‘Blauwe Moëllon van Soignies’ was used. The stone for this application is used in two appearances. At first, it shapes the plinth and side finishing near the main entrance and side-entrances. Secondly, this stone is also used for other outside elements such as portals, door sills, coping stones of the gables, ledges, etc. Tournai Bluestone Characteristics: Belgian bluestone, having a beige-ish colour. The stone is characterised as heterogeneous, sometimes crinoidal, irregular stone.172 Application: Inside the church the column bases, shafts and capitals, but also the tower stairs have been built in blue stone from the area of Tournai ‘Blauwe Arduin van Doornik’. The pavement around the church consists of the same stone. In this application, Asshe mortar consolidated the pavement. Tournai Limestone Characteristics: Sedimentary limestone having a light to dark grey colour.173 Application: Tournai limestone, a sedimentary rock with a rougher appearance, is applied outside for the plinth along the full perimeter of the church with the exception of the elements as described in category Soignies Bluestone. This surface shows an amalgam of different 171 Professor Francis Tourneur 172 Professor Francis Tourneur 173 http://www.wtcb.be, accessed 24 May 2016 Fig. 141 Section of the Soignies Bluestone Fig. 142 Soignies Bluestone used for the plinth and portals at the church entrances Fig. 143 Tournai Bluestone used for the construction of the column plinth
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sizes of stone combined together, even locally filled with other building materials such as red bricks. Also inside the church this stone is used for the construction of the plinth. Instead of the prescribed Tournai Bluestone in the ‘lower church’ (opposite to the ‘upper church where Tournai Bluestone is actually executed), one used the Tournai Limestone. Further research in the building history shows this might be due to financial restrictions during the construction of the building. The overall stone surface is finished with a cemented layer, probably form a later era. Slate Characteristics: Compact and homogeneous metamorphic rock containing clay and silica. Slates have dark grey to black colour.174 Application: All roof surfaces are finished with blue slates ‘Blauwe Schaliën’ from belgian origin. The Monuments’ Watch report shows that during previous restoration works, several roof surfaces have been restored by replacing damaged and weathered slates or by reparations.175 No document indicates the type of slates used for the restoration works. Mortars The ‘Building Description’ gives a clear, rather detailed overview of the mortars used for the construction of the building. Each paragraph taken up here explains the mortar’s composition and application on site. Through on-site observations and further research, an 174 http://www.kurt-van-espen.be/?page_id=282, accessed 24 May 2016 175 Monumentenwacht Oost-Vlaanderen, Bouwkundig rapport inspectie, Gent Sint-Jozefkerk, 2011 Fig. 144 Tournai limestone used for the construction of the outside plinth Fig. 145 Tournai limestone used for the construction of the indoor plinth. The overall surface is finished with a cemented layer. Here in next to the bluestone base of the pilaster in the side elevation Fig. 146 Slates used for the roof
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additional type of mortar could be identified. Adding this information to the overview of materials can help in understanding the behaviour of the overall structure and might lead to insights when examining damage patterns. ‘Houille - assche’ Characteristics: The ‘Houille-assche’ mortar consists of 1/2 lime (‘Doornikse kalk’) and 1/2 assche. The lime ‘Doornikse kalk’, necessary for the masonry, was required originating from the best lime kiln in the region of ‘Doornik’: the document subscribes clear, well-burned hydraulic chalk. The hydraulic lime is used as a binder and was, together with sand and water, mixed into mortar. The document states the importance of the ‘Houille-assche’ not being in contact with moisture from rain or vapour before being used in the mortar. Application: This type of mortar was used as binding mortar for the construction of the brickwork of all foundation walls. ‘Gewone metselmortel’ Characteristics: The ‘gewone metselmortel’, consists of 1/2 lime (‘Doornikse kalk’) and 1/2 sabulous clay. The lime ‘Doornikse kalk’, necessary for the masonry, was required originating from the best lime kiln in the region of ‘Doornik’: the document subscribes clear, well-burned hydraulic chalk. Indications and requirements for the sabulous clay are: lean clay, cracking and not earthy. Application: This binding mortar has been applied in the inner and outer loadbearing walls, to consolidate the masonry and to make sure the forces are equally distributed along the brickwork of the overall wall. ‘Flair’ or ‘haarmortel’ Characteristics: Hair mortar is composed of 3/5 lime (‘Doornikse kalk’) and 2/5 of well stirred sand mixed with an amount of 18 kg of grey cow hair per cubic meters of mortar. Application: This mortar has been applied on Fig. 147 Hair mortar used to plaster the walls, later to be covered with mural paintings Fig. 148 Hair mortar, damage pattern
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the brickwork to plaster the interior walls. Two layers of mortar form a solid base to apply the mural paintings. ‘Witte mortel’ Characteristics: According to the building description, this mortar is composed of 3/4 lime (‘Doornikse kalk’) and 1/4 of sand mixed with a small amount of water. This mortar was used as a jointing and finishing mortar. Application: This white mortar was used for the joints of stone floors , the inside walls and outside walls. ‘Cementmortel’ Characteristics: No specific data about composition found. Application: The application of cement mortar is restricted to the masonry of the basement. It is used for the masonry of the six upper layers of bricks until the lintel, but also to cover the upper layer of the foundation walls. The layer above the plinth consists of pure cement mixed with water. Restoration mortar Characteristics: No actual documents were found that could give more information on the mortars used for this occasion. Application: This mortar has been used during previous restoration works, mainly for the replacement masonry and/or repointing of existing weathered brickwork. The restored zones are clearly distinguishable from adjacent parts of the masonry, which makes this intervention intrusive at first sight. The mortar has obviously a whiter colour compared with the existing joints, making the overall brick surface look lighter. At first sight these restorations only seem aesthetically unpleasant. Further research however indicates that the impact of these interventions is a lot more than purely aesthetic incompatibility. (see chapter Previous restorations) Fig. 149 Restoration mortar section, south patio Fig. 150 Restoration mortar section, south patio Fig. 151 Restoration mortar, east facade
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Wood Red Riga Wood Characteristics: No specific data found. Application: This type of wood, ‘Rood Riga hout’, has been used for all carpentry works in the church. The wood has been quadratically sawn for the construction of the roof of nave, transept, choir and tower. The same wood is used for the joinery of dormer windows, interior finishing of the ceilings and vaults, cornices of the nave, transept, side aisles and choir. Oak wood Characteristics: No specific data found. Application: For all the joinery of inside and outside doors and for the window frames of the sacristy oak wood has been applied. The Monuments’ Watch report from 2011 indicated severe damage to several oak entrance doors.176 Observations on site in comparison with the remarks show that these doors have been replaced. No documents indicates the type of wood used for the restoration works. Iron Characteristics: No specific data found Application: The railing of the terrace, wall anchors at the façades of the annexes and several ornamentations are made of ironwork. The building description does not contain more specifications of this material . All ironwork will therefore be categorised by ‘iron’.
176 Monumentenwacht Oost-Vlaanderen, Bouwkundig rapport inspectie, Gent Sint-Jozefkerk, 2011 Fig. 152 Red riga wood, used for the ceilings of the church Fig. 153 Red riga wood, quadrically sawn for roof construction Fig. 154 Oak wood door with iron ornamental elements of the main entrance Fig. 155 Iron railing of the west façade
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Glass Characteristics: Stained glass windows Application: The building description describes ‘Verre Cathédrale’ has been applied to all windows of the nave, transept, side aisles and choir. Observations on site and further research into historical documents shows however that the currently present stained glass windows have been added to the building in the beginning of the 20th century. The stained glass windows of the sacristy however have been donated and put in place from the very beginning. (see chapter 4.1.7 Building phases). Zinc Characteristics: Vieille Montagne zinc Application: Zinc has been used for the construction of gutters, water drains, edging of the gables and roof finishing of flat roofs and roof edges.
Fig. 156 Iron wall anchor used for the attachment roof-wall of the annexes Fig. 157 Stained glass windows seen from the outside Fig. 158 Stained glass windows seen from the inside
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West facade
Synthesis plans: building material overview
0
1
2
lgemstraat
Brick 1 | Kareel- of tichelsteen
Slate | Blauwe schalien
Brick 2 | Mouluresteen
Wood 1 | Red Riga wood
Blue stone 1 | Soignies Bluestone
WOOD 2 | Oak wood
Blue stone 2 | Tournai Limestone
GLASS | Stained glass window
Blue stone 3 | Window frame
BRICK 1 | Reparations of Kareel- of tichelsteen
6m
W
0
1
2
6m
e
Synthesis plans: building material overview
0 1 2 Drietorekensstr.
Brick 1 | Kareel- of tichelsteen
Slate | Blauwe schalien
Brick 2 | Mouluresteen
Wood 1 | Red Riga wood
Blue stone 1 | Soignies Bluestone
WOOD 2 | Oak wood
Blue stone 2 | Tournai Limestone
GLASS | Stained glass window
Blue stone 3 | Window frame
BRICK 1 | Reparations of Kareel- of tichelsteen
6m
Wondelgemstraat
Synthesis plans: building material overview
0 dn 1 oW 2 artsmegle
Brick 1 | Kareel- of tichelsteen
Slate | Blauwe schalien
Brick 2 | Mouluresteen
Wood 1 | Red Riga wood
Blue stone 1 | Soignies Bluestone
WOOD 2 | Oak wood
Blue stone 2 | Tournai Limestone
GLASS | Stained glass window
Blue stone 3 | Window frame
BRICK 1 | Reparations of Kareel- of tichelsteen
6m
.rtssnekeroteirD
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5.5. Pathology analysis 5.5.1. Exterior This chapter gives an overview of all damage groups and according patterns identified for the exterior of the church. Each sub-chapter contains a more general explanation of the damage and how it appears on site together with a written indication of location and impact assessment (small, moderate, high or critical). Previous restorations Location: gables of the west façade, north façade, east façade and south façade. Impact: critical impact, affecting both the appearance and further deterioration of masonry. Description: Due to previous masonry reparation/ reconstruction and contiguous improper use of mortar for the repointing of joints in the masonry, the repaired gable is clearly visible and distinguishable from the rest of the building. The appointed parts are not considered damage as such but are diminishing the overall value of the building, since these interventions clearly affect the uniform image of the neo-Gothic church. However, observations show that these treated zones cause considerable damage to adjacent brick layers. First of all, the joints of these adjoining zones are locally more weathered compared to other parts of the masonry. The darker colour suggests these bricks are more wet and absorb the moist rejected from the upper layers. Hence, these stones attract more dirt and worsen the visual division of original masonry and the repaired zones. Fig. 159 < Aesthetic incompatibility of rebuilt zones affect the overall impression of the church Fig. 160 Rebuilt part of the buttress in pressed bricks Fig. 161 Detail of the gable of south façade Fig. 162 Detail of the gable of east façade Fig. 163 Detail of the gable of the south annex
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It is uncertain whether it is the restoration mortar that is unsuitable or the new pressed brick that might be less porous and is more water repellent making the water escape through the lower brickwork. Probably it is not cement mortar that was used because the bricks in the restored parts are not actually damaged. Damage occurs in the surrounding brickwork. Further research and examination should show whether the new brickwork together with the new mortar forms a ‘water front’ transporting the water to the adjacent layers of brick. The reparations are mainly located at the height of the roofs, according water drain system and gutters as well as in the critical corners around the interconnection of buttresses. Further investigation shows that these zones are linked to inside damage caused by water infiltration. The inside and outside reparations and the affected zones of bricks more or less coincide. (see chapter Brick discolouration due to water infiltration) Biological colonisation Biological colonisation is the phenomenon whereby plants and other micro-organisms such as, in the case of Saint Joseph church, algae, mosses, lichens etc. colonise the stone material. Biological colonisation also contains animals and other organisms nesting in and/ or on the stone and causing damage.177 In 177 ICOMOS-ISCS, Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, France, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), 2008, p. 64
the case study, biological colonisation often appears as a mixture of different kinds of organisms and will, in the damage analysis of the drawings, be treated as one big category. However, the subcategory of algae will be indicated separately since this phenomenon is clearly distinguishable and locally affecting the stone material to a considerable extent. Algae Location: west façade, north façade, east façade and south façade. Impact: depending on the orientation of and position on the façade, the impact ranges from small to high. Description: These vegetal organisms are visible on stone material and appear in either powdery or viscous form with overall green and locally black colour. A significant condition for the growth of algae is the considerable moisture content of the stone during a substantial amount of time. In the case of Saint Joseph church, deposition of algae is mainly recorded on the natural stone parts and locally on the masonry.178 The building parts most affected by this type of biological colonisation are elements exposed to (driving) rain with consequently higher moisture content of the stones. Therefore, deposition of algae is most visible on north, northwest, northeast and east oriented façades. Mainly protruding elements are likely to catch rain and are suitable hosts for algae growth.
178 ICOMOS-ISCS :Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), France, 2008, p. 66 Fig. 164 Fragment of west façades and deposition of algae on the masonry Fig. 165 > Heavy degradation of brickwork, north patio to the church
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Lichens Location: north façade Impact: Lichens only grow on certain stones near the entrance door. Although it contains several compact colonies, the overall impact remains rather small. Description: Lichens grow on stony materials and appear in the shape of crusty or bushy specks often with leatherlike appearance, ranging from millimetric to centimetric girth. Best conditions for this colonies to grow is exposure to clean air, whereby growth is eased under the presence of pollutants in the air.179 In the case of St Joseph church, carbon pollution was and vehicle pollution is present in the air due to its position in the urban context of Ghent. The façades contain considerable amounts of lichens on the rougher surfaces of the natural stone plinth.
179 ICOMOS-ISCS :Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), France, 2008, p. 68
Fig. 166 Deposition of algae on the north façade Fig. 167 Deposition of algae on the plinth of east façade Fig. 168 Growth of lichens, yellow and white colour, on the south façade
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Mosses Location: west façade, north façade, east façade and south façade. Impact: Depending on the orientation of and position on the façade, the impact ranges from small to high. Description: These green organisms mostly grow on stone surfaces, in cracks and open cavities or on other substrates that have considerable moisture content. Preferably, mosses grow on shady and wet building surfaces. Suitable subsurface for the growth of mosses are therefore joints in masonry. The outer presence of the moss patch alters during the course of the year due to seasonal changes and its effect on the water content of building materials (in drier periods patches will shrink and colour brown).180 As for the church, mosses are growing in and around the joints in between stones. This phenomenon is most obviously found in protruding building elements such as the blue stones in the plinth zones of several buttresses. This colonisation occurs in combination with deposition of algae, since conditions for growth in both cases are similar.
180 ICOMOS-ISCS :Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), France, 2008, p. 70
Fig. 169 Big colony of lichens growing on blue stone plinth of the south façade Fig. 170 Growth of mosses in the joints of blue stones, situated in the niche of the front façade Fig. 171 Growth of mosses in the joints of blue stone masonry of the plinth
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Plants and small vegetation Location: west façade, north façade, east façade and south façade. Impact: the plants growing on the stone surfaces remain very small and scattered, therefore the impact is small to moderate. Another type of biological growth found on the exterior of the church, contains local growth of (small) vegetation like weed and plants. This vegetations will preferably grow on locations where water is available and develop a rooting system inside cracks and cavities to cling to the substrate.181 On the longer term, growth of vegetation on stone walls can cause additional or worsen damage. Both on the north and south side of the building, ivy is climbing up against the brick and blue stone walls, clinging into the joints of the walls and severely affecting the overall consistency of the wall. In several parts, the ivy has already been removed, leaving patterns of former roots fixated onto the stones, affecting the overall appearance of the masonry.
181 ICOMOS-ISCS :Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), France, 2008, p. 74
Fig. 172 Small plants growing in between bricks of the south-west façade Fig. 173 Plants of considerable size growing on the masonry of the north patio Fig. 174 Ivy climbing up along the south façade of the church Fig. 175 Traces of roots remaining after removing ivy
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Mason bee Location: south façade Impact: high to critical Description: Mason bees or mason wasps are insects nesting in existing cavities and holes in wood and stone walls. In performing their activities the bees search for warm agreeable spaces to build their nests, resulting in additional holes. Observation of the church masonry shows that brick surfaces on the south side show severe deterioration of the joints in the shape of small tunnels, hollowed out by the mason bee. The scoops enable water to penetrate inside the walls and cause severe damage to the brick walls and interior wall paintings.182 182 Information obtained during site visit with professor Hilde De Clercq, 4-05-2016
Fig. 176 Mason bee inhabiting the holes made in masonry joints Fig. 177 Mason bee holes in the masonry of the buttress on the south side of the church
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Discolouration and deposit The damage pattern discussed in this part concerns the aggregation of deposit on the surface of the stone, forming a crust on the existing building material. These crusts have a darker colour due to attraction of dirt from surrounding air. The formed layer contains exogenic materials as well as components of the stone.183 Black crust Location: west façade, north façade, east façade and south façade. Impact: Depending on the orientation and exposure to rain, certain building parts will have more deposition of black crust. The impact ranges from small to high. Another damage pattern identified on the façades is the formation of black crust, primarily on the blue stone (Tournai limestone) plinth. The phenomenon is caused by acid rain, transforming the main components of the stone into a material soluble in water. This solubilised component (CaSo4) will evaporate at the surface, resulting in deposition of gypsum at the stone surface. This gypsum matrix traps particles from the surrounding atmosphere, giving its black characteristic colour. The gypsum layer appears in two different morphologies, either as a film or in the form of a gypsum crust.184 183 ICOMOS-ISCS :Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), France, 2008, p. 42 184 Roel Hendrickx, Laurent Fontaine and Hilde De Clercq, “Deterioration mechanisms of the compact clay-bearing limestone of Tournai used in the Romanesque portals of the Tournai Cathedral (Belgium)”, Environmental Earth Sciences, Volume 74, Issue 4, August 2015, pp 3207-3221 Fig. 178 Lower parts of the building, here east façade, show most obvious black crust Fig. 179 Black crust pattern on the blue stone plinth Fig. 180 Black crust pattern at the height of the entrance portal Fig. 181 Locally the crust gets very sizable and distinct to such extent it might cause damage to the stone
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Black crust occurs most obvious on surfaces safeguarded from rainfall and/or water runoff. These crusts are characterised by their obstinacy since they adhere solidly to the sub-layer.185 The crust is utmost visible in the entrance portal which is, due to protection from rain, coloured almost completely black. Besides the portal, lower parts of the building show more deposition whereas higher surfaces, exposed to rain, are cleaner. The effect of the wind, together with the rain, draws the pattern of crust formation as observed on site. Locally, the crust gets very sizable and grows to such extent it might cause damage to the stone. Deformations Cracks Location: east façade (annexes) and west façade Impact: moderate to critical Observations of the outer façades show two pair of cracks in the masonry walls, situated near the corners of the building. First, the west façade shows, on both left and right side, diagonal cracks, clearly visible and distinguishable in the masonry. These cracks are consolidated without reopening, which means the settlements have stabilised. Secondly, the annexes are subjected to stability problems. Superficial investigation of the foundations shows that the annexes to the church are build without sufficient base compared to the rest of the building. The
185 ICOMOS-ISCS :Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), France, 2008, p. 42 Fig. 182 Crack in the corner of the west facade Fig. 183 Implication of the outside crack in the interior of the church Fig. 184 Vertical cracks in the masonry of the annexes
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east façade shows on both left and right side vertical and diagonal cracks in the masonry of the annexes, starting from the window sill towards the blue stone plinth. The wall parts between the cracks act together as a living arch that makes the wall able to resist further deformation. Additionally, a large diagonal crack appears in the walls of the side entrances, parallel to the east façade. Investigation of both crack patterns and monitoring the settlements could give a decisive answer on the cause. There are two possibilities: or the annex or the church sinks more than the other building part. In the first case, the foundations of the annex should be strengthened. In the latter case, strengthening the foundations of the church should not be strengthened, since it is a costly intervention. However, the building parts should be separated in both situations to avoid further settlements. It is important to mention that these cracks have clear implications on the interior, where similar crack pattern and development can be recognised in the masonry and painted plaster layer. The existing cracks might cause severe deterioration of the wall paintings due to water infiltration, making the impact this damage pattern has for preservation of the overall value of the building of critical importance. Detachment Delamination Location: plinth of west façade, north façade, east façade and south façade Impact: moderate Description: The phenomenon of delamination relates to the layering of laminated stones, either of sedimentary or metamorphic origin. The layering process results in the physical segregation of the stone in one or more layers, Fig. 185 Vertical cracks under the window sill Fig. 186 Diagonal crack in the masonry of the annexes Fig. 187 Delamination of Tournai limestone used in the Portals of the Cathedral of Tournai
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according to the stone’s natural laminae.186 In the case of Saint Joseph church, the Tournai limestone of the plinth shows severe delamination of the sedimentary layers. Referring to the scientific article on the deterioration mechanisms of Tournai limestone by Roel Hendrickx, Laurent Fontaine and Hilde De Clercq, the following scientific conclusions is plausible for this case as well. Due to the anisotropic characteristics of the natural stone, containing clay segments with preferred direction (in between the stone laminae) and under influence of several external factors, the formation and multiplication of internal cracks occurs. The presence of liquid water induces the biggest damage, since the clay segments (that absorb water) define the hygroscopic performance given to the stone. Successive wet-dry cycles cause interparticle pressure in between the layers resulting in the delamination of the stone laminae.187 Degradation of masonry and jointing Location: west façades, north façades, east façades and south façades Impact: small to high Description: Several brickwork surfaces show considerable 186 ICOMOS-ISCS :Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns/Glossaire illustré sur les formes d’altération de la pierre, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone (ISCS), France, 2008, p. 18 187 Roel Hendrickx, Laurent Fontaine and Hilde De Clercq, “Deterioration mechanisms of the compact clay-bearing limestone of Tournai used in the Romanesque portals of the Tournai Cathedral (Belgium)”, Environmental Earth Sciences, Volume 74, Issue 4, August 2015, pp 3207-3221 Fig. 188 Tournai stone used in the plinth of the church showing delamination pattern Fig. 189 Tournai stone used in the plinth of the church showing delamination pattern Fig. 190 Degradation of masonry under the window sill on south façades Fig. 191 Degradation of masonry under the cornice of north façades
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tower are not taken up into this chapter. Due to strict time limits and setting out priorities, the decision was made to focus on those parts of the building that could be analysed properly. Previous restorations Mural paintings Location: All walls of the choir Impact: High
to severe degradation of the masonry and jointing. Loss of coherence of the building material raises questions in terms of global conservation of the wall. The fragile bricks, due to the degradation and/or disappearance of the linking and water absorbing mortar, contain higher moisture content since the drying out of the stones occurs much slower. Wet bricks consequently become the perfect host for algae and other biological growth, while at the same time dirt deposits on the wet surface, giving the masonry a darkish and dirty appearance. This category of damage contains degraded bricks due to external climatic factors and the executed restorations works of the gables (chapter 5.2.1.1 Previous restoration).
5.5.2. Interior This chapter gives an overview of all damage groups and according patterns identified in the interior of the church. Each sub-chapter contains a more general explanation of the damage and how it is apparent on site together with a written indication of location and assessment of impact (small, moderate, high or critical). The pathology analysis focuses on building materials but does not take into account furniture. The Monument Watch report on the interior should be consulted to fulfil the analysis of the furniture.188 But also the damage patterns observed in the crypt and 188 Monumentenwacht Oost-Vlaanderen, Bouwkundig rapport inspectie interieur, Gent Sint-Jozefkerk, 2008
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Description: Friar André Van Vlasselaer, docent at the St Luke school, made a recommendation document to clean the mural paintings, the wood, the statues, the candlesticks, the furniture and paintings. He executed the works in 1981. This document proofs specific damage to the mural paintings. First, the painted walls were washed with water and solarine, as paint remover completely inappropriate to ‘clean’ the walls. Van Vlasselaer suggested to test first if the paint would not solve.189 Probably they found out that this cleaning technique damaged the paintings, because there is only one part where the paint is partially removed. This part is situated at the altar of Our Lady in the choir. Furthermore, the mural paintings are treated with products that caused a shining effect and the peeling of paint. It is not sure whether Van Vlasselaer suggested this cleaning as well, but it is clear that this action damaged the mural paintings as well. Discolouration and deposit Salt efflorescence Location: above the plinth, in the outer corners underneath the windows Impact: high Description: Efflorescence and crypto-efflorescence are 189 Recommendation on the cleaning of the walls and furniture in the church, by friar André Van Vlasselaer, 25 February 1981 . Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, a. Briefwisselingen Fig. 192 Degradation of masonry on the north façade
present on the interior walls, especially at the location of the mural paintings. Efflorescence appears on the surface of the wall as whitish, powdery crystals. Crypto-efflorescence accumulates in the wall and are hidden, until the upper stone layer detaches through the weight of the salts. Both damage patterns originate from the same process, caused by the solubility and crystallisation cycles of salts in the wall. Salts can be present in the brick walls due to rising damp, infiltrating water or the material itself. When liquid water penetrates the wall, present salts go in solution, resulting in saline water. If the water again evaporates out of the stone, the concentration of the salts in the saline water rises, until the saline solution reaches its saturation point, also called the transition point. Once crossed this level, the salts crystallize. The transition point differs for each salt, depending on the RH. NaCl for example crystallizes below a RH of 75%. This transition process occurs during two phases of water evaporation in the stone, both causing damage patterns. The first phase is characterised by a constant transport and evaporation of liquid water at the surface. This phase causes efflorescence at the surface. The second phase depends on the diffusion of water in the pores of the material, not located at the surface, and has a slower drying process. This phase causes crypto-efflorescence, where salts are deposited in the material itself. As long as the RH fluctuates, transitions and crystallisation of salts occur, resulting in (crypto-)efflorescence. Therefore, it is impossible to conserve the wall as long the RH fluctuates around the transition points of occurring salts. The St Joseph church consists of very valuable and highly detailed mural paintings. The Fig. 193 Shining layer and peeling of the mural paintings due to use of unsuitable products Fig. 194 Damage to the mural paintings due to use of Solarine Fig. 195 Washed of paint near the west façade
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present of salts can affect them. Research is thus necessary to decide weather salts are a continuous danger for future conservation interventions. Professor Hilde De Clercq, head of the KIK IRPA laboratoria, made it possible to analyse the presence of salts in the brick walls, finished with mural paintings. Thanks to the monitoring of the indoor climate, the RH could be measured and taken up in the analysis. The report is added in annex C. Three samples were taken by professor De Clercq and analysed in the lab of KIK IRPA: »» X114 above the plinth in the left transept »» X115 at the top of the mural paintings on the right side of the east façades »» X116 on the right side of the west façade The analysis confirms that salts are present in the wall. The salt content can be considered as moderate for X114 and X115 while high for X116. The modeling of the crystallization behavior by means of Environmental Control of Salts (ECOS) shows that the ion mixture generally consists of KNO3, NaCl, sulphates linked to Na and Mg and some double salts. The salt mixture as a whole can be considered as destructive. The transition points fall in a region of RH (measured at 12°C) between 50 and 85 %. Regarding the monitoring of the climate, it can be concluded that the number of transitions during these 3 months can be up to 30 (10/ month). As such, the conservation of the murals can not be considered as durable as damage in the (near) future cannot be excluded. If reconstruction would be considered, the need to analyse the underlying masonry to conclude the durability of it is highly recommended.
Fig. 196 Salt efflorescence is pushing out paint and plaster layer Fig. 197 Taking a sample with Prof Hilde De Clercq Fig. 198 Taking a sample with Prof Hilde De Clercq
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Brick ‘discolouration’ due to water infiltration Location: Interior elevations, mainly in the transept, near crossings of walls and near the west façades. Impact: moderate Description: Previous roof restorations bear witness to earlier water infiltrations that caused damage to the interior. Damage, not so much as mechanical defects but as aesthetic imperfections, diminishing the intrinsic value of the church. Whereas the whole interior of the church is enriched with a deliberate pattern of vivid handpainted bricks, the infiltrating water washed the paint away. The damage pattern is visible in several parts of the church causing negative impact on the overall value of the protected interior. Some zones show completely washed away areas, whereas other parts only show the course lines of the water. Since the roofs and gutters have been repaired, paint is no longer washed off the bricks. Damage mapping of brick discolouration and previous restorations has been done on rectified images included in synthesis plans.
Fig. 199 Complete zone of washed away paint in the transept Fig. 200 Crack visible in masonry and according plaster
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Deformations Cracks Location: Cracks in the plaster and murals and in the internal wall along the south entrance Impact: moderate to critical Description: Referring to chapter 5.5.1.4. Deformations Cracks, the cracks visible in the west façade have clear implications on the interior where a similar crack pattern is recognisable in the masonry and painted plaster walls. Observations show clearly that the murals in these zones are severely damaged. Continuous cracks running through the brickwork towards the interior stimulate water infiltration, guiding water towards the internal wall surface. It seems that previous efforts have already been undertaken to consolidate the cracks and to fixate the paint. The settlements stabilised, since the cracks have not reopened. However, the most crucial cracks might be the ones in the south entrance hall to the sacristy and church, parallel to the east façades. As described in chapter 5.5.1.4. Deformations - Cracks, superficial investigation of the foundations shows that the annexes to the church are build without sufficient base compared to the rest of the building. Further investigation and monitoring will give answer about the cause and the appropriate solution as already discussed in the mentioned chapter. Archival research indicates that the tower, which according to the building permit would have been build a lot higher then it is nowadays, could not be completed due to stability issues.190 In the context of the swampy 190 Summary of the construction of the church and tower. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendomFig. 201 Previous consolidation of the cracks Fig. 202 Severe crack in south entrance hall to the sacristy and church Fig. 203 Star-shaped crack visible in the crypt
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Wondelgemmeersen, it is not surprising that the humid soil on which the church is build has no sufficient load-bearing capacity. When observing the masonry and construction of the crypt (the church foundation) it is clear the four main supports and contiguous vaults are burdened with considerable load. The starshaped crack pattern visible on the bottom side of the vaults, bears witness to the heavy loads that are imposed from the tower to the main pillars in the church onto the supports in the basement. The cracks appear by difference in tensile stresses in the material. They are not considered as critical since they are very fine. However is recommended to control the movement of the crack on a regularly basis to make sure it is stable. If not, action must be undertaken. Prolapse of floors Location: choir of the church Impact: small Description: Few zones of the flooring show local prolapse of the cement floor tiles. The impact stays small whereas the tiles locally only subside a few centimetres. It is necessary to study the underground in which the tiles are embedded. The building description states the bedding layer for the floor tiles consists of ten centimetres of sabulous clay, executed on a substrate of bricks, meaning the crypt’s brick vaults. The cement floor tiles themselves have several areas of severe damages, mainly caused by mechanical loads such as friction due to moving furniture and other heavy elements. Observed damages are desquamating pieces of the tiles, scratches on or subsidence of the tiles.
men, Doos 1, 1. Inventarissen, e. Varia Fig. 204 Local prolapse of floor in the choir Fig. 205 Damage of the cement floor tiles due to mechanical load Fig. 206 Unsuitable repared part of the floor
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Synthesis plans: Faรงades damage overview ALGAE
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5.6. State of conservation 5.6.1. Exterior Concerning the exterior, the church has rather good state of conservation. However, several damages of critical impact should be treated to avoid further or additional damage. First of all there are the previous restorations, where newly built outer brickwork layers and repointed joints affect the adjacent brick layers. Further research should show whether it is the brickwork and/or restoration mortar that is making the whole surface functioning as a ‘water front’ forcing water to penetrate to lower parts of the façades. Besides this mechanical impact, the previous restorations are also affecting the overall value of the building, since these interventions clearly affect the uniform image of the neo-Gothic church. Secondly, the zones of heavily deteriorated and/or weathered brick should be cleaned and locally repointed to avoid water infiltration inside the church, subsequently causing damage to the mural paintings. The same story applies for the zones affected by mason bee, penetrating the mortar joints and digging holes to make nests. These three problems could be dealt with together whereas at the same time overall cleaning and removal of black crust and biological colonisation on the façades could be executed. Probably the most important and most urgent intervention is the investigation of crack patterns and monitoring the crack settlements of the church’ annexes. The observed damage is already of considerable impact and could on the short term cause additional severe damage to the adjoining church building. However, it needs to be mentioned masonry of the north and south patio suffers the most severe damage caused due to a combination of several of the above mentioned causes. The overview contains damage identification, short description and accompanying images. In the perspective of future use of the crypt,
it will be essential to deal with these damages on a short term. Accessibility and visibility of the entrances demand an overall and intensive cleaning of the masonry and stone materials.
5.6.2. Interior The interior is in overall good condition without many severe damages threatening the intrinsic value of the church. Small interventions such as smoothening the consolidated cracks in the wall plastering could be done. However, most important is further research into the salt efflorescence and crypto-efflorescence observed at the height of the mural paintings. As chapter 5.5.2.2 Discolouration and deposit - salt efflorescence describes, the conservation of the murals can not be considered as durable as damage in the (near) future cannot be excluded. If reconstruction would be considered, the need to analyse the underlying masonry to conclude the durability of it is highly recommended. Meaning that besides conducting technical analyses it is designated to permanently monitor the church in order to understand the conditions and all factors affecting the interior climate of the church. As for the crypt, global observation makes clear overall restoration of the partially underground space is necessary to reallocate this space in the future. Further investigation needs to be executed when considering the re-use proposal of the crypt. For the tower it is clear all buildings elements are in good condition and no real actions need to be undertaken. While visiting the tower it was even striking how well maintained the overall structure actually is. In terms of state of conservation it needs to be mentioned that this space is very well preserved.
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6 Economic analysis
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Economic analysis
The economic analysis introduces St Joseph church as an object describable in economic terms. The past and present use, the ownership and its economic character are discussed. Next, the cultural capital related to the church as well as the area’s cultural assets are defined to analyse the spatial integration of different assets. This leads to a statement of cultural significance, explaining how culture is present in the cultural capital and revealing the problems it has to deal with. Before moving to the project evaluation, the economic values are assessed by using a SWOT-analysis. This part takes into account the following research questions: What is the economic value of the church? Is there a cultural capital with specific assets? How are the assets spatially integrated in the urban fabric? What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the church nowadays? The second part evaluates four scenarios by three methods: the SWOT-analysis, the multicriteria analysis and the execution of a social survey. Finally, the results of the methods are compared and a ranking of options is made. The chapter ends with a conclusion, focusing on the chosen scenario. Fig. 208 Former beluiken, a specific urban typology present in Rabot, 26-01-2016 Fig. 209 The Brugse vaart as an almost natural border of Rabot, 26-01-2016 Fig. 210 The park and playground in the Gebroeders de Smetstraat as a natural asset, 26-01-2016
The cooperation with students from the Conservation Policies course made it possible to lift this analysis to a higher level. They intended to understand the potential of the St Joseph church for tourism, leisure and cultural aspects. We cooperated on the social surveys conducted during the Open Day and based some subchapters on their interviews with the stakeholders and on the SWOT-analysis of the four reconversion proposals.191
6.1. Current state in economic terms
6.1.1. Use
Historic use The Saint Joseph church in Rabot was conceived in the middle of the 19th century in the context of the industrial development of Ghent. It was purposely placed in the centre of the newly developed neighbourhood to encourage all workers to live and work according to the Catholic rules but also to function like a panopticon, controlling the neighbourhood. At that time, the church was a place where the community would gather, being a social centre for the Rabot neighbourhood. Further, it served for regular religious ceremonies, as a place for praying and confessing and as a place of silence. The church was open to the public and had more than three priests (up to five) responsible and always available (in the 191 FERRI, Camilla & PERMINGEAT, Marie & ORTEGA, Marie. Conservation policies: seminar. Case study: Sint-Jozefkerk, Ghent. Leuven, KU Leuven, 2016
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presbytery) for their community. The ownership is from the construction until now still in the hands of the Church Fabric. Current use Nowadays, the context of the church and the neighbourhood are almost contrasting. Not only the demographic structure of the population in the area changed entirely, but also the church is no longer active. The new population does not need nor use the church. Since the last priest passed away last year, the church is rapidly losing its meaning for the people, so much that it will be deconsecrated in 2017. Regular masses once a week, and several side activities less related to religious ceremonies, are still organised within the church. The church organ is commonly played by students of the Conservatory and the day chapel is used by the Togolese church. Additionally, Oxfam food market, “babbelsoup” and occasional concerts are organised for local and wider communities. Only in those occasions the church is open for public, in other words about twice a week. The church feels abandoned and calls for action.
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6.1.2. Ownership The owner of the Saint Joseph church is the Church Fabric. Each parish in Flanders has a Church Fabric that is managed by the Church Council, and consisting t of five members. The Church Fabric is a public authority with legal personality that is financed by the Flemish government. Their duty is to arrange the physical conditions for the worship, to manage the properties of the church that are designated for the worship and to maintain and protect the church or multiple churches of their parish.192
6.1.3. Character There are two characteristics determining heritage as a specific good. The first characteristic is related to the possibility to 192 Decreet betreffende de materiële organisatie en de werking van de erkende erediensten, Vlaamse Regering, Brussel, 7 mei 2004, p. 1-78 Fig. 211 St Joseph church always present in the urban landscape
prevent people from using it. If this is not possible, the building is non-excludable. If this is the case, the building is considered as excludable. The second characteristic is based on the rivalry of the building. If one person entering the building does not reduce the availability to others, the building is non-rivalrous. If it is the case, the building is considered as rivalrous. The church is considered as a public good that is non-rivalrous and non-excludable because the church is open for everyone (nonexcludable) and the one person inside the building does not reduce the availability of others (non-rivalrous). However, this situation is only present when the building is open during religious ceremonies and side activities.
6.2. Cultural significance Although this project initially deals with a single monument, the assessment of its economic values should be considered in a wider frame. Focussing on a broader area leads to a holistic approach, including also economic values from other assets in the vicinity of the specific monument. The monument becomes part of an urban landscape, involving simultaneously many outcomes and various stakeholders. Cultural heritage is considered as a form of (cultural) capital, as an asset. Cultural heritage requires investments of physical and human resources in their original manufacturing and construction. It deteriorates over time unless resources are devoted to their maintenance and upkeep and gives rise to a flow of services over time that may enter the final consumption of individuals directly or that may contribute to the production of further goods and services.193 In this sense, a cultural capital is made of urban cultural assets that provide economic values. 193 THROSBY, David, Cultural Capital and Sustainability Concepts in the Economics of Cultural Heritage, in: Assessing the Values of Cultural Heritage, Research Report, Getty Conservation Institute, 2002, p. 104
Therefore, the St Joseph church is analysed in a macro perspective, by defining a broader urban area as cultural capital that consists of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Next, present cultural heritage should be evaluated as urban cultural assets, consisting of built, moveable, intangible and spatial assets. Finally, these urban cultural assets are linked to other assets of the urban landscape such as architectural, natural and mobility assets, resulting in the spatial integration of the urban cultural assets. This analysis leads towards a statement of cultural significance, explaining how culture is present in Rabot, while focussing on its strengths and challenges.
6.2.1. Area
Defining a cultural capital connected to the St Joseph church is relatively easy and clear. The church is part of Rabot, a 19th century urban development in Ghent in the light of the industrial revolution. This meant the settlement of multiple textile factories and therefore, a strong industrial influence on the development of the neighbourhood. It is located in the northwest of Ghent, right outside the old medieval city walls. Three significant borders make the triangular shape of Rabot recognisable on the map of Ghent. The Brugse Vaart on the west, the Verbindingskanaal on the north and outer part of the old city walls on the south are merging together on the northeast. Both canals are also part of this 19th century urban development.
6.2.2. Cultural assets
Rabot is a typical example of a nineteenth century industrial neighbourhood. The urban fabric was characterised by large textile factories contrasting with small workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; houses, a train station and canals to transport the goods and industrial objects such as gas stations and industrial bridges. Today, these artefacts are still present in the landscape of the neighbourhood, bearing witness to the rich industrial history. Since they enrich the cultural experience of Rabot, all those elements are considered as cultural assets.
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With the decline of the textile industry, the Rabot quarter became partly neglected. Newer development projects introduced first changes in the neighbourhood. When the technology campus Odisee settled in the former textile factory in late 1970s, the area was still rather industrial. In the nineties, the Palace of Justice was placed on the location of the former Rabot train station, on the southern border. With their functions and field of work, both projects add values to the neighbourhood. They are a direct link between Rabot and the rest of the city. Further, urban garden project Tondelier plays an important role for the citizens of Rabot. Neighbours grow their vegetables for personal purpose. Besides that there is collective gardening of vegetables for selling in the local social restaurant Toreke. The project is of temporary nature since housing blocks incorporated in a park will be built in the coming years. This housing project, also called Tondelier, has the aim to boost the neighbourhood with 530 housing units, day care, sport hall and offices. It will be a challenge to merge this new development with the existing neighbourhood. The St Joseph church in Rabot, the St Vincentius church across the Verbindingsvaart and the St Jan Baptist church across the Brugse Vaart are three churches within or around Rabot. The St Elizabeth church is the heart of the old Saint Elisabeth Beguinage from 13th century and is situated on the other side of the border to the quarter. The Beguinage was built within the medieval city walls and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.194 194 ‘Beguinage’, https://visit.gent.be/en/beguinages?context=tourist, accessed 25 May 2016 Fig. 212 The Wondelgemstraat, 26-01-2016 Fig. 213 Colourful food shop in the Wondelgemstraat, 26-01-2016 Fig. 214 Industrial bridge at the Verbindingskanaal, in the prolongation of the Wondelgemstraat, 26-01-2016 Fig. 215 Tondelier, an urban garden with a positive social impact, 26-01-2016 Fig. 216 > Scheme showing cultural, mobility, architectural and landscape qualities of Rabot and adjacent areas
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Culture Mobility Architecture Nature
Assets
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Culture Mobility Architecture Nature
Assets Apart from the built environment, cultural and social diversities are the most prominent aspects in the quarter. Previous migration waves of immigrant workers, most of them Turkish and Bulgarian, but also students influenced the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood. More than 67 nationalities live together on a small area, resulting in a mix of various traditions and cultures. The main street, Wondelgemstraat, is where this diversity happens. The Wondelgemstraat reminds of a southern atmosphere, with vibrant commercial activities such as food shops, hairdressers, clothes, jewellers, (fast food) restaurants and cafÊs. Most of them are family businesses, that stand out for their multicoloured façades and characteristic smells of different kinds of food. The neighbourhood also has its own currency that among other things, allows less fortunate people to afford basic human needs.
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6.2.3. Spatial integration The cultural assets are part of an urban tissue, characterised by architectural, natural and mobility assets. It is of utmost importance that all the assets are linked in order to ensure their spatial integration in the urban fabric . Rabot is a very dense neighbourhood with radial street pattern, alternating between a small grain pattern of small houses, a middle grain pattern of beluiken and a large grain of former factories. This urban pattern gives a specific character to the neighbourhood, referring to the former industrial atmosphere. Nowadays, the houses are adapted according to the actual needs and personal tastes, resulting in an interesting architectural mix of specific, unique solutions. These architectural Fig. 217 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Diagram of spatial integration of urban assets
assets reflect a living neighbourhood, seeking for their own identity through architecture. Although Rabot is part of Ghent, it nevertheless feels like a small village in the city. This area is easily reachable by public transport and has many mobility assets. Two tramlines are connecting the south of the city and the city centre to the periphery on the north. They are passing through the De Smet Brothers Street on the west and Opgeëistenlaan towards the northeast (Blaisantvest). One bus line is passing directly through the Wondelgemstraat, and Fig. 218 Diagram displays main elements that support integration of Rabot with other parts of the city Fig. 219 >> Former beluiken, colourfully painted and adapted to personal tastes, 26-01-2016 Fig. 220 >> Urban garden Tondelier, soon replaced by the housing project with the addition of an alternative urban garden, 26-01-2016
another one on the north border, west-east direction. This way, the whole area is well connected to the city centre by bus, tram, bike and by foot. The car is not an appropriate transportation vehicle, since the parking spots are limited, the distances are small and the inner core of Ghent is partially car free. To accommodate a large number of people, the core of Rabot had a dense urban plan from the very beginning. However the appropriation of individual parcels caused even higher densification. Green spaces are, therefore situated in the outer zones, to round up and create a buffer zone towards the neighbouring districts. Technology campus Odisee and Palace of Justice can also be seen as buffers that are strong attraction points for people from the whole city. These buffer zones are considered as natural assets and provide public space, functioning as green lungs in a dense urban fabric.
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Urban Cultural Assets (UCA) Built asset
Moveable assets
Intangible assets
Spatial assets
Technology campus Odisee
19th century religious furniture in St Joseph Church
Manoeuvre (social atelier)
Brugse vaart & Verbindingsvaart (canal zone)
Palace of Justice
Local Rabot currency
Tondelier Garden
Beguinage & Prinsenhof
Tondelier, social urban garden (vegetables, market, restaurant…)
Rabot park
Former textile factories
Wondelgemstraat, strong commercial and social attraction point
Rational street pattern as part of the urban industrial development)
Interior courtyards “beluiken”
Toreke, social restaurant and meeting point
Industrial bridge as the prolongation of the Wondelgemstraat
Saint-Joseph Church Sint-Jan Baptistkerk Sint-Vincentiuskerk
6.2.4. Statement of cultural significance Culture is definitely present in Rabot, although sometimes hidden for public. As part of the 19th century urban development of Ghent, many related elements are still present in the urban landscape. Former factories, small working-class houses, a radial street pattern, the St Joseph church and the natural borders of Rabot are considered as architectural artefacts, referring to its industrial origin. Conserving and linking those elements is from utmost importance to improve the integration of Rabot’s own historical past as a cultural asset. Migration waves led to a multicultural neighbourhood, mostly visible in the small row houses and the Wondelgemstraat. Many traditions and cultures are present and enrich the cultural significance of Rabot. Linking the different communities and focusing on the social problems such as high unemployment rates, low educational level and weak social integration into the society, will lead to a stronger social and cultural quarter. However,
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many social-cultural activities such as the side activities of the St Joseph parish, the social atelier Manoeuvre, the urban garden Tondelier and the activities of the neighbourhood centre are already working towards this stronger quarter. Finally, the St Joseph church has always been very present in the urban landscape but is nowadays neglected by the neighbourhood. Nevertheless, it has the potential to become again the social and cultural centre of the neighbourhood by making the neighbours aware of its cultural, social, folkloric and historic value.
Table 2 Overview of urban cultural assets of Rabot
6.3. Assessment economic values The final sub-chapter focused on the present state of the building gives information on the (non-) use values, the stakeholders and the impact of the current condition on the local authorities. To conclude, a SWOT-analysis assesses the economic values, based on the gathered information of the current state.
6.3.1. (Non-) use values
The total economic value of Saint Joseph Church is analysed in the context of the Rabot quarter. Use and non-use value of the church are highly related to its original functions that are closely associated with culture and holistic aspects such as education, cultural and social activities (charity, music, goods exchangeâ&#x20AC;Ś) and religion. The biggest challenge for a successful implementation of the reuse project is to make the neighbourhood Rabot aware of cultural heritage in their neighbourhood. Only after people have accepted the church as a community place to gather, the church could live up to its potentials. Knowledge about the building history, the architecture, the valuable objects, the social character etc. will raise the actual value of the monument, being able to become again the real heart of the community.
and social value. Secondly, the building has a historic value since it is related to the industrial past, the ultramontanism and the St Luke movement. Third, the church impresses with its artistic and architectural value. It is a neo-Gothic building, based on the St Luke principles where every detail is executed with care. The exterior, interior and furniture are conceived as one piece of art. These non-use values seem much more difficult to assess, what makes it especially difficult in the case of St Joseph, since it is characterised by many non-use values. After all, how do you assess from an economic point of view the social potential and cultural value of a church? The final sub-chapter will try to assess all the values in economic terms by using a SWOT-analysis.
The use value of the monument is the combination of all services provided by that monument nowadays. It gives an idea on the potential of the space and makes it easier to assess the building in economic terms. Since it is still a church, it is used for religious ceremonies. However, in the idea of the future deconsecration, the church is already hosting side activities such as the fair-trade market, the soup charity, the rent of space for worship to the Togolese community and the rent of the organ to the Conservatory. The non-use value relates to the symbolic, architectural, artistic and historic value of the monument. First of all, the church has always been a place for gathering, praying and silence. As such, the church has a high symbolic
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6.3.2. Stakeholders Stakeholders with high decision making power Diocese is directly connected to the church, therefore has more influence in the decisions about the future use. Only the diocese can officially decide to deconsecrate and to reuse the parish church.195 Church fabric is managing the work of the parish and everything related to the church. It takes care of the activities and service of the church. They have a high decision-making power over the future function of the church. The deconsecration decision has an impact on their work and vision. Representatives, Mr Guido Vyncke and Lieve De Mey recognise that the building needs to be given back to the neighbourhood and become a place for the people again. The new function needs to be tuned according the neighbourhood’s needs and support exchange of cultures and diversities. Both representatives are against the privatisation of the church if used for profit initiatives. City of Ghent has high power in decision making process and funding the projects. The cabinet of Peeters is responsible for all religious buildings in Ghent, including the Saint Joseph church. Although they have the abilities to affect future use of the church, they might 195 “Use churches”, http://crkc.be/gebruik-kerkgebouwen, accessed 30 May 2016
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not consider taking over the management of the church.196 Overall, there has been a good communication with the city via Josefien Maes, project leader of the neighbourhood management. During the semester, she organised a stakeholder meeting, a workshop on the reuse of the church and a final exhibition of the proposals made by St Luke Ghent and RLICC. Stakeholders with medium decision making power Community centre has the most interest in implementing activities in the church, mostly of social nature. They want to actively participate in the future use. Decision making power is not as high as the city or church fabric have, but they have knowledge about the community and what they might need. They aspire for the community to find a common language in sharing cultures. In their opinion, the neighbourhood could profit from some gentrification. Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen (Heritage Flanders) is the regional department responsible for the protection, conservation and maintenance of the built heritage. The 196 FERRI, Camilla & PERMINGEAT, Marie & ORTEGA, Marie. Conservation policies: seminar. Case study: Sint-Jozefkerk, Ghent. Leuven, KU Leuven, 2016 Fig. 221 Panorama in front of the main entrance of the church with stakeholders, Open day, 4-05-2016
department has regional influence on the heritage aspects since the St Joseph church is protected. They do not have direct decisionmaking power on the reuse, but have to be consulted whenever (physical) changes occur in the church. They take care of technical issues and of transmitting the heritage to future generations with same values. Consultations about decisions for the new use of the church are recommended to obligatory because of the effect they might have on a listed monument. Stakeholders with low decision making power Neighbours will be directly affected by the new function of the church. With active participation and involvement in decision-making process, they could express their needs and support their implementation in the church. For the neighbours, it is important to respect the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood and to find a way to communicate together. Students are similar stakeholders as the neighbours (some of them are both). They have low decision-making power, but the new function of the church could fulfil their needs and even involve them more in the Rabot community.
The community groups do not have a direct decision-making power, however, with active participation and involvement in it, they influence the future function of the church. They will be the future users of the church.197 Stakeholders with no decision making power Urban services take care that everyday services in the neighbourhood function without disruptions. New function can affect the traffic intensity, behaviour of people and other potential changes in the area around the church. Visitors / passers-by / tourists have no decision making power whatsoever, but they might use the services the church will provide in the future. Future generations are maybe the biggest stakeholders, considering that the church will become part of their lives. Current stakeholders have the duty to protect the heritage and transmit it to the future generations. 197 FERRI, Camilla & PERMINGEAT, Marie & ORTEGA, Marie. Conservation policies: seminar. Case study: Sint-Jozefkerk, Ghent. Leuven, KU Leuven, 2016
Community groups representatives, such as the Imam, consider the church should retain its original function and serve as a catholic church for its community (although low number).
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6.3.3. Impact on local authorities Current situation of the Saint Joseph church in Rabot has a collateral impact on local authorities in many ways. In a mostly Muslim neighbourhood, a Catholic church has a low number of (regular) users and side activities. Those ongoing activities are mostly charity related, which means there is no income therefore the building cannot support itself and requires financial aid from the local authorities. Overall budgeting and maintenance costs are high for a small group of people. The total artistic value of the church is high and if the church was open for the public more often and without supervision, the risks for potential incidents or burglaries would increase. To establish a balanced relationship between the church and the neighbourhood, one should work towards the awareness of the inhabitants.
6.3.4. Swot analysis
SWOT analysis is a planning method mostly used by businesses and industry for identifying their organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The method is applicable in a much broader aspect, including on people, places, products etc.198 It is used on the case of Saint Joseph church to provide deeper understanding about its current situation in society and to help in future steps of planning and decision-making for the reuse project. Internal factors represent strengths and weaknesses of the building itself, which are in this case mostly related to the historical and architectural values and activities directly connected with the surrounding environment. By introducing opportunities and threats, the method analyses the impact of external influences on the monument such as new urban development in the area, city involvement with Rabot and most importantly how local community perceives the church. The analysis will help identifying essential internal and external factors influencing the future of the church. 198 “SWOT-analysis” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ SWOT_analysis, accessed 27 May 2016 Table 3 SWOT analysis of the Saint Joseph church
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Saint Joseph Church Strength
Weakness
Listed building » Furniture, Interior and exterior are all protected on national level » A total piece of art » High cultural value, example of ideal parish according to Saint-Lucas Movement
Public space » Public space that connects the church with the Wondelgemstraat is not used in its full potential. At the moment, many persons use the space but are not interested in the church
Location » In the centre of the neighbourhood » Easy accessible by public transport » Part of Wondelgemstraat, the commercial centre of the neighbourhood
Accessibility » The church is only open when activities are organised. So most of the time, it is only open 2 times a week » The floor level of the church is 1m higher than the street level, which gives problems for disabled people
Side activities » Organ, Oxfam, Babbelsoup » Shows the possibilities of the space
Internal climate » Due to the construction, it has a fluctuating relative humidity » Due to its volume, it has a low temperature and has it problems to heat up which also affects the energy efficiency
Volume » Potential covered public space » Rabot has a lack of such a public spaces
Lack of users » The mass never attracts more than 20 people
Opportunity
Threat
New developments » Palace of Justice and Rabot Park are part of the masterplan “Bruggen naar Rabot”
Economic Situation » Low employment rate » High amount of people who rent a house » Lack of knowledge of language
City involvement » The city organises meetings with stakeholders, workshops about the reuse of the church and is interested in the student projects
Community awareness of the heritage » People don’t visit the church » They sometimes don’t know how the building is called » Not aware of the protection status Multiple communities » Due to 3 migration waves, Rabot has many communities (Bulgarian, Turkish, Flemish,…) » They live next to each other but don’t communicate
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6.4. Project evaluation The second part of the economic analysis is dedicated to the evaluation of four possible reconversion scenarios. The four scenarios are first presented. Secondly, three evaluation methods are used to analysis the reuse propositions. A SWOT-analysis gives a synthesis on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of each option. The observations are based on the research paper Conservation policies: seminar. Case study: Sint-Jozefkerk, Ghent199 and previous analysis. A multi-criteria analysis, the second method, is a non-monetary evaluation method, able to compare the different scenarios. It is based on previous research. The third evaluation method is a social survey, carried out during the Open Day. The three evaluation methods give an insight in the reuse projects. The SWOT and MC analysis are evaluated by conservation experts while the survey is based on stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opinions. The combination of the evaluation tools, based on experts and stakeholders, gives a stronger underpinned final evaluation. This final part is the ranking of the four scenarios and the choice of one (or a combination of) scenario(s).
6.4.1. Scenarios
Community centre Function: based on wishes and needs of Rabot, such as event facilities, creative ateliers, dancing and yoga classes, language and art courses, â&#x20AC;Ś Possible owner/manager: Community of Rabot, possible in cooperation with the city of Ghent Potential audience: Rabot
community tends to spend a significant amount of their free time in the closest environment. The first scenario, a community centre, has the aim to gather all these communities in and around the church to enrich the neighbourhood itself. This centre would fulfil the wish of the Church Fabric to give the Saint-Joseph church back to the neighbourhood. The building would unite different types of activities in accordance to needs and wishes of Rabot, such as language and art courses, dancing classes, creative ateliers, workshop spaces, event facilities,... Rights and opportunities also imply duties. The neighbours will need to cooperate together to make this community centre work. Solidarity and dedication of the neighbourhood will be necessary. A cooperation with the City of Ghent during the initial start would be recommended, but it is after all important that Rabot can carry this project on its own. The architectural principle conceived as a boxin-a-box system, where the enclosed units function independently from the church. This way, the church acts as a covered public space that is at the same time a museum or exhibition space, considering the artistic features in the interior. The structure is preserved through adding layers that would protect the original elements. Apart from the church, there is a great potential for expanding the activities in the crypt that provides plenty of available surface. The crypt, however, requires rather demanding investments for adapting the space to the standards (the current space is humid and lacks sufficient foundations).
Rabot is known for its rich cultural diversity, an asset that should be used in a positive way. The Saint Joseph church itself is a central meeting place of the neighbourhood and local 199 FERRI, Camilla & PERMINGEAT, Marie & ORTEGA, Marie. Conservation policies: seminar. Case study: Sint-Jozefkerk, Ghent. Leuven, KU Leuven, 2016
192
Fig. 222 â&#x20AC;&#x160;> Proposed scenario for the church: Community centre
193
194
Scientific and cultural centre Function: Library, reading and study space, exhibition area Possible owner/manager: KU Leuven or Odisee Gent Potential audience: Students, Rabot and inhabitants of Ghent In 1979, the university Campus of Odisee Ghent and KU Leuven moved to the former textile factory ‘La Louisiana’ on the Broers De Smet Street. On one hand, the settlement of these educational induced the third migration wave to Rabot, the students, which implies a great potential for the neighbourhood. On the other hand, the visual and mental connection between Rabot and the university campus is still missing. The idea for the second scenario would be reconversion of the church into a culture and science centre with a library, study space and temporary exhibition spaces.
The architectural principle applied here is similar to the one in the first scenario with the box-in-a-box system and where the new structure functions by itself. Significant part of the church would stay open and would serve for communication and temporary exhibitions. The whole building in such configuration acts as a single-climate space and would require higher investments considering thermal aspects. The basic infrastructure could be placed in the crypt, although the space might not be sufficient for reading or study rooms due to lack of natural light.
The scenario would build the connection between the campus, students and the neighbourhood. For Rabot, such centre would complement and lift up the social image of the quarter, and at the same time it would be accessible for people outside Rabot. The space would offer the opportunity to enjoy the place of silence, gain knowledge or read a favourite magazine in a pleasant and peaceful environment. In this case, the KU Leuven and Odisee will have to take the lead in the management and ownership of the building, as it is most of all an opportunity for their students.
Fig. 223 < Proposed scenario for the church: Scientific and cultural centre
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Food, arts & crafts market Function: market expo for local arts, crafts and food Possible owner/manager: private initiative or city of Ghent Potential audience: Rabot, inhabitants Ghent and tourists on regional and national level Third scenario supports local economy and focuses on (creative) handmade production. Creative skills are the basis for a network of arts & crafts, food and culture. They enrich the neighbourhood and make it unique. Local artists, young starters, independent craftsmen and farmers would have the opportunity to make, expose and/or sell their goods to the people in a magnificent interior space that is the church. The new, market-expo type of space would complement commercial activities of the main street, Wondelgemstraat, but at the same time it would stand out by offering exclusively local products to the wider public, made and produced in Rabot. The market has great potentials for attracting people who enjoy locally grown and produced food, handcrafted goods, cultural diversity and in general, alternative experiences.
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The natural climatic conditions of the church would not require many additional investments, as the cooler air temperature and humidity levels fit such activities. The main challenge for this scenario is the combination of the function with the sensitive and valuable structure of the church. In addition to that, if the church is used only as a ‘box’ or a covered space, without any connection the its cultural values, it will gradually lose the significance for its artistic and historical aspects. As an alternative, the food, arts & crafts scenario could very well function in the crypt without endangering valuable and protected structure, which is why the crypt should be considered as rational alternative. It could also have a positive reaction on the Rabot community to become more familiar with the church and to use it for non-religious activities. The building could be run by the city of Ghent or a privative initiative, where the spaces are rent to local craftsmen and creative organisations.
Fig. 224 Proposed scenario for the church: Food, arts and crafts market
Museum and education centre Function: Education centre focussing on 19th century Belgian and European art Possible owner/manager: Scientific organisation or city of Ghent Potential audience: Rabot and tourists on regional, national and international level The Saint Joseph church is probably the best representation of a neo gothic SaintLucas parish church where the quality is from outstanding value. The exterior, interior and furniture complement each other and are as a whole a piece of art. It is a great opportunity to use this uniqueness and these artistic values in the final proposal for the scenario to use the church as a museum. The museum would focus on the nineteenth century art in Belgium and Europe, mostly neo gothic, but it would also tell the story about the evolution of Rabot and the assembly of different religions. There is no museum in Ghent that is dedicated to religion, so a building of high value, the Saint Joseph church, would be a great fit for such activity.
This proposal might be less interesting for the local community and the direct link to the people living in Rabot is less visible, but the museum as an institution has the abilities to attract people on regional, national and even international level. As such, it would lift up the overall image of the neighbourhood and could induce changes in the population structure. Bethunanium, a Belgian study centre for nineteenth century art or Stichting de Bethune (Foundation de Bethune), would be the most suitable candidates as owners of the building and managers of the museum. The church as such is most suitable for the museum function in the future use and would not require exhaustive investments and adaptations. Further infrastructure needed for this scenario would be of temporary nature. Zoning and designing spaces with exhibitions would tell the story itself. The crypt could serve for meeting rooms and storage space.
Fig. 225 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Proposed scenario for the church: Museum and education centre
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6.4.2. SWOT analysis The SWOT analysis was applied on four potential scenarios for the new use of the church to acquire further insights on the potential of the new function, how would it be implemented and who would become the users (preferably the local community). Each of the following tables gives an overview on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This analysis was conducted in cooperation with the group of three students, Camilla Ferri, Nadia Ortega and Marie Permingeat from the course “Conservation Policies”.
Table 4 > SWOT analysis of the Community centre scenario Table 5 > SWOT analysis of the Scientific and cultural centre scenario Table 6 >> SWOT analysis of the Food, arts and crafts market scenario Table 7 >> SWOT analysis of the Museum and education centre scenario
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Community centre Strength
Weakness
It is a useful purpose for the community. Recreational activities are based on the needs of the Not possible to attract private investors neighbourhood The building maintains its social original function as a gathering space
Mostly focused on the neighbourhood
The first, covered, public space in the centre of Rabot Opportunity
Threat
It may serve to create a stronger community feeling. The community centre could integrate the different cultures in the neighbourhood
The City of Ghent has not yet stated a specific desire of managing the structure after the deconsecration
The lack of participation in the neighbourhood. People already enjoy spending time around Awareness and bonding with the building are the church and the public space has the potennecessary for a neighbourhood that supports tial to attract people inside the project The neighbourhood could influence the conservation and maintenance policy Scientific and cultural centre Strength
Weakness
The building maintains its spiritual original function as a reflection space
Mostly focused on the students in the neighbourhood
It functions as a quiet sanctuary in a busy neighbourhood to rest and think. The only place of silence in the neighbourhood, accessible for everyone
It is not possible to attract private investors
This is the only library in a wider area
There is no influence of the neighbourhood on the conservation and maintenance policy
Opportunity
Threat
It has the potential to integrate the university campus and its students to the neighbourhood. It may serve to create a stronger community feeling
It does not attract enough people from the neighbourhood itself
It may serve to lessening the stigmatisation of the neighbourhood while playing a role on promoting its lust for knowledge
The KU Leuven and Odissee Ghent have not yet expressed a specific desire of managing the structure after the deconsecration
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Food, arts and crafts market Strength
Weakness
It is the first covered market in the neighbourhood
No awareness of the heritage
It promotes the multicultural neighbourhood through local food, arts and crafts
No influence of the neighbourhood on the conservation and maintenance policy
It is part of a busy shopping street
The heritage would be used as a box without recognising and focusing on its cultural, historical and architectural value
It supports creative industries to start own business
No connection to its original function
Opportunity
Threat
It has the potential to attract private investors
No investor or government association has yet expressed an interest of managing the building after the desacralisation
To lessen the stigmatisation of the neighbourhood
Possible threat to the current economic activities in Wondelgemstraat
Promotion of its multiculturalism through local food, arts and crafts
Recently, ‘the Holy Food market’ in Ghent opened its doors Increased influx of visitors could damage the site
Museum and educational centre Strength
Weakness
The cultural and historical value of the building is maintained and highlighted
The connection with Rabot inhabitants less visible
No need for major transformation
No parking spaces for visitors
There are no other museums concerning religions in Ghent and the wider area
There is no influence of the neighbourhood on the conservation and maintenance policy
The connection with different religions and Rabot is high
It is not a place for the neighbourhood people to meet and talk: no direct encounter between the local population
It promotes the neighbourhood through art, culture and history
The building wouldn’t play a major role for the community itself
Opportunity
Threat
It has tourist potential since it is an innovative The project focuses on a more selective pubidea that could attract inhabitants of Ghent and lic, attracted by the art and architecture of the tourists on a regional, national and internationbuilding instead of attracting neighbours al level It may serve to lessening the stigmatisation of the neighbourhood while playing a role on promoting its multiculturalism
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No public or private investor already showed interest
6.4.3. Multi-criteria analysis Methodology Since various project outcomes are difficult to value in monetary terms, a multi-criteria analysis takes into consideration multiple dimensions of the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges. The MCA is considered as a non-monetary evaluation method and is able to compare various projects with each other. The MCA consists of a multitude of criteria. The selection of these criteria is based on the specificities of the evaluated project, which is in this case a reconversion project of the Saint Joseph church. In order to have a successful project, it should be a sustainable development. The four parameters of sustainable development, cultural, social, environmental and economic, are used as criteria. Each criteria is divided into sub-criteria. These subcriteria are specified and scored, based on their contribution to achieve a sustainable project. The score has a scale from one (low contribution) to five (high contribution). Subcriteria can be weighted. This procedure depends on the relative priorities attached to the various decision criteria of the project plan. Assigning weights gives thus the possibility to manage the MCA according to the needs of the cultural capital. Total scores, based on the sum of sub-scores, are compared to rank the projects according to its sustainability. MCA has the advantage of ranking and comparing the project proposals, based on a score. On the other hand, values are given by experts. They are acquainted with the topic and have knowledge to assess the sub-criterias correctly but it is never sure that these given values are completely correct. These critical points should be kept in mind while evaluating in the end.
sensitive urban development paradigms is of utmost importance. Culture is considered as the glue between the three parameters. It connects different themes and is able to solve economic, environmental and social issues, while searching for common ground. Therefore, cultural heritage, the cultural and creative industries and understanding of the innate imagination and collective intelligence of people, should be considered as an asset for sustainable development and integrated completely in reuse and regeneration projects. It is thus important to see culture and cultural heritage not on its own but as part of an overall system, as a tool to obtain inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements. Culture considered in this perspective gives also the opportunity to protect and safeguard the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural and natural heritage. Concludable, everyone benefits from this approach.200 Economy, Environment, Society and Culture are, as four criteria, a strong and reliable starting point to evaluate the reuse proposals in terms of sustainability. Every part is divided in sub-criteria, that link the criteria with the reuse projects. A stronger focus is put on the criteria Culture (6 sub-criteria) and Society (6 sub-criteria) because the social and cultural dimension are more present and critical in this research. The following table gives an overview on the criteria, sub-criteria, its parameters and the reason why each sub-criteria is included. The parameters make it easier to understand and assess the sub-criteria.
200 UNESCO, Hangzhou Declaration, Hangzhou, UNESCO, 2015, p.1
Four criteria and sub-criteria Today, the world is facing environmental, social and economic challenges, and working towards an inclusive people-centred and culturally Table 8 â&#x20AC;&#x160;>> MCA adapted for the Saint Joseph church
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4 Criteria with sub-criteria Economic 1
From low (1) to high (5) Cultural tourism cultural tourism revenues
0.6
Rabot is a resident neighbourhood and tourism is not the main focus for this project. Furthermore, a balance should be created between tourists and locals.
1
The unemployment rate in Rabot-Blansaintvest (>12%) is very high and job opportunities in the neighbourhood are welcome. This is another possibility to receive income for maintenance and restoration works than tourism revenues or the attraction of new investors
Jobs
From low (1) to high (5) employment possibilities
3
Real estate
From low (1) to high (5) rental possibilities of the heritage
0.8
4
Attracting new investments
From low (1) to high (5) possibility of additional investments from private sector
0.8 for maintenance and restoration works than
2
This is another possibility to receive income tourism revenues or rental possibilities
Cultural
5
6
7
Education
From low (1) to high (5) educational value
Civic pride
From low (1) to high (5) 1 civic pride for the heritage
Recreation
From low (1) to high (5) amount of recreational activities taking place in the building
0.8
The building itself contains a large amount of historic, artistic and architectural information which is an asset that can be used to make people aware by learning from the building At the moment, there is a lack of proud for the monument. People are not aware of the cultural, historic and social qualities of the building
Recreational activities give the opportunity
0.8 to connect people with each other
From low (1) to high (5) influence of the neighbourhood on the conservation 1 and maintenance policy of the building
Participation is important to raise awareness and to obtain civic pride, knowledge and immaterial bond with the heritage
8
Policy
9
Connection to original function
From low (1) to high (5) connection to the original function as a church
1
All the elements of the church are very valuable and the closer the function, less interventions are needed which makes it easier to respect the value of heritage
10
Intervention
From low (1) to high(5) amount of respect for the heritage value
1
All the elements of the church are very valuable and awareness of the heritage value is important while intervening
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4 Criteria with sub-criteria Social
0.8
This parameter differs from the parameter in the economic criteria because it only seeks for cultural satisfaction. The building has potential to give a high cultural satisfaction but it depends on the future function
1
In general, the connection between different generations is too small. It would enrich the project, because it helps people to learn from each other.
From segregated (1) to intercultural (5) use
1
Rabot is a neighbourhood with many different communities that are not connected at the moment.
From low (1) to high (5) awareness of the heritage
1
It is important to raise awareness of, knowledge on and a bond with the heritage
Quality of life
From low (1) to high (5) positive influence on social life of neighbours
0.6 ters of intergenerational and intercultural
Youth
From low (1) to high (5) involvement of the youth
1
11
Cultural tourism
12
Generational cohesion
13
Cultural cohesion
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Intangible awareness
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From low (1) to high (5) cultural satisfaction
From segregated (1) tointergenerational (5) use
This parameter is in line with the parameuse
The youth is the future and one day, they will have to maintain and conserve the heritage to transmit it to the next generation
Environmental
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Rabot is already a busy neighbourhood, especially the Wondelgemstraat. There are also not many parking spots available for visitors.
From low (1) to high (5) positive influence on to energy standards
0.6
The building is fully protected and very specific. Badly planned interventions, only to obtain a better energy efficiency, can affect the values
From low (1) to high (5) influence on the development of public spaces related to heritage
1
There is no large (covered) public space to organise public activities for the neighbourhood, the church is thus an opportunity
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Reduction of emission and pollution
From high (1) to low (5) effect on traffic jams
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Energy efficiency
Quality of life
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The most convenient solution, according to the MCA, is the community centre (84,94%), followed by the museum and educational centre (70,82%), the scientific and cultural centre (64,71%) and the food, arts and craft market (58,59%).
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Results The spider-web graph is an ideal tool to evaluate each scenario and compare with the other ones. Points are set out on a circular graph for each sub-criteria, resulting in a set of points. This set of points is connected and gives an area. The larger the area, the better the project fits the sub-criteria. A percentage gives also a numerical result. The table with scores can be found in annex D.
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score, especially on the cultural and social parameters. The museum and educational centre (S4) has an extreme outcome, with peaks and low points. It has very good outcomes on some parts of the economic and surprisingly the social parameters. The cultural sub-criteria are not as high as expected. The scientific and cultural centre (S2) scores on the social criteria but fails on the economic aspect. This is not the case for the food, arts and craft market (S3), that scores its points on the economic criteria. It has a weak outcome on the cultural parameters. Fig. 226 Spider-web S1, Community centre Fig. 227 Spider-web S2, Scientific and cultural centre Fig. 228 Spider-web S3, Food, arts and craft market Fig. 229 Spider-web S4, Museum and educational centre
6.4.4. Survey Questions A survey was developed to have an insight about the neighbourhood and important stakeholders for this project. The survey aimed to receive opinions of locals within the neighbourhood, on the relevance of the site for the community and on the reuse scenarios. The survey specified on four topics: general knowledge and awareness of the building, opinion on the re-use scenarios and personal data. Every topic resulted in questions. General knowledge and awareness »» Have you entered the building before? »» If yes, how many times? For which occasion? If no, why not? For which reason? »» What do you know about this building? »» Which characteristics describe the building the best? »» How does this building make you feel? Re-use scenarios »» Did you know, before doing this survey, the church will be desacralised in 2017? If Yes, did you also know that the building will have a new function after the desacralisation? »» Do you feel this building plays an important role for the neighbourhood? »» If not, why not? If not, do you think this would change in the future with the new use for the building? »» If yes, Do you think this important role would be kept after the desacralisation and the installation of another use? »» Which re-use scenario do you think is most suitable for this church? »» Would you come here more often if the church would have that function? Personal data »» Age »» Sex »» Religion
The questions were formulated to give an easy and fast answer, with a wide range of fixed answers and always a ticking box for additional answers. Context The survey was conducted during the Open Day of the St Joseph church. This event was organised with the assistance of the “Conservation Policies” students and in cooperation with the Church Fabric, that gave the permission to open the church and that helped us with the setup of the supporting facilities. During the eastern holidays, in the beginning of April 2016, we sat together with Yasir Aqbil, imam of the Pakistan mosque, Dirk Middernacht, the local neighbourhood worker, and Lieve De Mey, secretary of the Church Fabric, to collect ideas. The Open Day was organised on the 4 May 2016, as an extension of the flower market an already planned and promoted event; in front of the Saint Joseoph Church.. In this sense, it was easier to attract people visiting the church since many people were already present at the flower market. Due to the unexpected advanced date, the event was communicated to the public relatively late. Nevertheless, flyers were distributed, posters were hung up, personal invitations were sent to stakeholders, the event was posted on social media and shared on different participation groups of Rabot. Open Day The Church Fabric gave the permission to open the church and helped with the preparations. The Open Day lasted from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm, the flower market from 14:00 pm until 16:00 pm. The event stayed smallscaled, due to lack of time. All the chairs were removed from the nave, which was cleaned and cosy corners were installed. The bar, four scenarios and plans were placed in the nave and student organists were invited to play for us. Not all activities were executed, for example the presentation from the Social Atelier Manoeuvre, this due to organisation problems and limits in time management from the stakeholders. However, the interior space
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received a total different view and feeling within a small preparation time. Drinks and snacks were provided to attract people to visit the church and fill in the survey. The survey was made via Google Forms and conducted online with the use of tablets, smartphones and paper forms.201 Apparently, the most effective way to survey is still the use of paper form. It goes easy, fast and it is lowscaled. It was still possible to fill in the survey after the event what unfortunately nobody did. Results The results of the survey can be consulted in annex D. The survey received a total of eighty (80) responses. There were 47 male participants (59%) and 33 female participants (41%). The majoritarian age group was aged between 16 to 25 years old (32%), followed by the age group between 41 to 65 years old (30%). Most of the participants were Catholic (41,3%) followed by none (21,3%) and Atheist (18,8%) which can be seen as one group (40,1 %) . Only 6 persons (7,5%) were Muslim. 2/3 of the participants entered the church before, most of the time for other events than the suggested ones (religious ceremony, concert, Oxfam market, Babbelsoup). However, some people with different religions, entered the church for the funeral of former priest Koen Blieck. Most of these persons know that the building is a neo-Gothic church, built in the nineteenth century and that it is currently used for side activities. Only 27 persons (33,75%) know that the church is totally protected. The most common reason why 1/3 of the visitors never went inside, was due to the fact that the church was closed (48,1%). Even 11,1% of the persons gave as reason that they did not know the church existed. The characteristics that describe the church the best, according to the participants, are: beautiful, large, Christian, Rabot and potential. 201 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ljqJYIk4hlPE-1NAGpEtMWeqn1X5l8Em4qVySZAaSmo/ viewform, accessed 30 May 2016
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The building makes people feel surprised and impressed by its tranquility, beauty, creativity and peace. It is striking that the building makes people (15%) also feel sad, possibly due to the deconsecration. 60% of the participants knows the church will be deconsecrated by the beginning of 2017 and receive a new function. 66,3% thinks this building plays an important role for the neighbourhood. “A Catholic church in a Muslim community”, “too big, cool and inaccessible”, “always closed” are some reasons why 27 persons don’t believe in the important role of the church within the neighbourhood. However, 21 persons think this could be possible in the future. The most interesting survey question for this research was their opinion on the four scenarios. 51,2% prefered the community centre, followed by the scientific and cultural centre (22,5%), the food, arts and crafts market (17,5%) and the museum and educative centre (8,8%). Limitations There were several limitations regarding this survey. The most important limitation was the language. On the one hand, locals were sometimes not capable to speak Dutch, French or English and were excluded from participating. On the other hand, most of the researchers had to communicate in English which gave sometimes difficulties with older generations. However, it was an advantage that the survey was in both languages, Dutch and English. The surveys completed through the hard copy method had some errors. When the participants filled the forms, some did not understand the instructions and chose several options in questions where only one answer was requested. The hard copies were transcribed at the end of the event; therefore, there was no possibility of clarifying the preferred choice. Some persons gathered outside the church, but wouldn’t enter when invited inside to
participate. A few members of the crowd would venture inside, take advantage of the free food and leave without completing the survey. When gathering the final results, the significant absence of the Muslim community in the survey, which is the majority religious group in the community, was clearly noticeable. The approach failed at engaging the overall community, even if there was an open invitation made to the religious leaders of the Turkish and Pakistani Mosques. It would also have been interesting to see if the participants were locals or not and to know more about their origin. The questions related to these topics werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t included in the list on personal data. Furthermore, 80 participants is not an extreme high number, since Rabot-Blansainvest has more than 9000 persons/km² but the result is nevertheless higher than expect due to the small scale of the event. It is above all wonderful that the Open Day could reach some persons for the first time.
6.4.5. Ranking of options
The three methods resulted in three similar outcomes. The SWOT-analysis is rather difficult to compare scenarios with each other. However, it made it as heritage experts possible to consider the scenarios from another point of view. Most of all, the results from the SWOTanalysis were used to score the sub-criterias of the multi-criteria analysis. The scores were for example revised after the formulation of the SWOT-analysis, thanks to a more thorough consideration of the internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) influences of the reuse proposals. It can be concluded that the mutual use of both analysis resulted in a ranking based on the assessment by heritage experts. The community centre is in this case followed by the museum and educational centre, the scientific and cultural centre and the food, arts and craft market.
a clear idea of the public on the potential reconversion projects. The 80 participants were clear because more than the half choose for the scenario of the community centre. This proposal was followed by the scientific and cultural centre, the food, arts and crafts market and the museum and educative centre.
6.4.6. Final choice
The community centre is by both heritage experts and public considered as the most suitable reconversion proposal. A shift occurs between the heritage expert assessment and the public assessment for the other scenarios. The museum and educational centre ended last in the public consultation. However, the scenario of the museum and educational centre should be considered, taking into account the positive results of the multi-criteria analysis, the opinion of the Church Fabric and the fact is protected as a whole. This scenario would be the most suitable solution in terms of heritage protection. There are not many interventions needed in the nave, transept or choir, since all the elements are already exposed as in an exhibition space. A combination of both scenarios seems in this sense an appropriate solution for the church space. However, the crypt gives the possibility to include a function free from potential restrictions by specific characteristics. This way, out-of-the-box solutions can be considered. It can for example serve as a large polyvalent space, convertible to study rooms, headquarters for the local youth movement or a temporary market space. These solutions should be based on further future research. Nevertheless, this is only possible if necessary interventions, such as solving the high RH and the lack of daylight and emergency exists, are executed.
The third method, the conduction of a survey on the Open Day, gave among others
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6.5. Conclusion The economic chapter started with the description of the current state of the St Joseph church in economic terms. Theoretically, the church is still used as it was originally the case. However, the secularisation of the society led to less use for religious purpose. Nowadays, the church still hosts religious services but are combined with side activities, some managed by the owner, the Church Fabric, in order to use the church more often than only once a week. If the building is open, it has a public good character, since it is non-rivalrous and non-excludable. While assessing the economic value, the monument should always be considered in a wider frame as part of an urban landscape. This wider frame is defined as cultural capital, that consists of (in)tangible cultural heritage, enriching the economic value of the St Joseph church. The neighbourhood Rabot represents this cultural capital. Defining and linking cultural, architectural, mobility and natural assets display the spatial integration of all those assets in the urban landscape. A statement of cultural significance explains how culture is present in the cultural capital and which challenges it implies. Culture is definitely present in Rabot, although sometimes hidden for public. The industrial past, the multicultural diversity and traditions, the neighbourhood activities and the socio-cultural potential of the St Joseph church enrich the cultural significance of the area. However, to maintain and explore these potentials, the neighbourhood will have to deal with challenges such as social problems and the unawareness for cultural heritage by the neighbourhood.
tangible element related to the church and its cultural capital, a SWOT-analysis is conducted. Regional heritage protection, location, side activities and volume are considered as strengths, while inappropriate use of public space in front, lack of accessibility, poor indoor climate and the lack of users are defined as weaknesses. The new executed urban developments and the city council involvement in the reuse process are opportunities for the church while the economic situation, the poor community awareness of heritage and the lack of communication between different communities threaten the future development of the monument. The project evaluation takes into account four potential reuse scenarios. Based on three methods, a SWOT-analysis, a multi-criteria analysis and a social survey, the projects are ranked according to the outcomes. All methods have a similar first preference, namely the community centre. The scenario of the museum and educational centre should also be considered, since the scenario would be the most suitable solution in terms of heritage protection. Furthermore, the crypt gives the possibility to become a polyvalent space that is not restricted by specific characteristics. The final option is thus a combination of several scenarios: the upper part of the church would be used as community centre and museum, while the crypt gives the freedom to think about out-of-the-box solutions.
The total economic value of the church also depends on the (non-)use values of the monument. Use-values such as the religious ceremonies and side activities, are relatively easy to asses economically. The non-use values such as the architectural, symbolic, social, folkloric and historic value, are less evident to assess in economic terms. To asses every (in)
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7 Masterplan
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Masterplan
The masterplan contains the final analysis, namely the value and authenticity assessment. But what are these values and how are they justified? How to interpret and integrate authenticity in this assessment? Both assessments are based on methods. The method of professor Coomans to assess the 19th century church patrimony, is used to evaluate the values of the church architecture, interior and context. The Nara grid helps together with the outcome from the value assessment to give a judgment on the authenticity of St Joseph. Both outcomes are the base for the final synthesis plans, displaying graphically the values of St Joseph. The results of the final analysis are used in the second part of this chapter, the reconversion proposal.
7.1.1. Values
7.1. Heritage assessment
In 2002, professor Thomas Coomans developed a methodology to protect and conserve 19th century church patrimony in Flanders, later on implemented by Heritage Flanders. The introduction balances thirty years of research on 19th century church architecture. Before the 1970’s, there was no demand to protect or investigate this patrimony since there was almost no research on the topic, the churches were in decent state of conservation and they posed no problems within the society. From the 1970’s onwards, several important churches were demolished due to the
progressing secularisation, the renewal spirit of the 70’s and the lack of scientific knowledge and interest. Furthermore, the second Vatican Council (1962-1965) completely changed the layout of the church interior. “Useless” religious furniture such as pulpits, communion rails, saint’s figures etc. were thrown away, replaced or reconstructed and polychromy was replaced by neutral colours. The first sign of awareness came by KIK IRPA, with the setup of a photo inventory from religious furniture in Belgium.202 However, there was little attention for the 19th and 20th century elements. From 1989, researchers started to reevaluate a specific part of the 19th century architecture, namely the St Luke neo-Gothic. Other forms of neo-Gothic, for example architecture before St Luke, were still neglected. At the end of the 20th century, the decline of the church use, the ageing of the buildings and the large number made clear that a rational protection, conservation and management policy was from utmost important. The development of this methodology was the first step towards such a policy. 12 unprotected but high valuable buildings were placed on an urgency list in order to protect them immediately and St Joseph church was one of them. 203 202 “fotorepertorium van het meubilair van de Belgische bedehuizen”, 130 delen (voor Vlaanderen), Brussel, KIK, 1972-1984 203 COOMANS, Thomas, Kerken in neostijlen in Vlaanderen : ontwikkeling en implementatie van een methodologie voor de bescherming en de monumentenzorg van het negentiende-eeuwse kerkelijk architecturaal patrimonium in Vlaanderen, s.n., 2003, p. 10-22
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Methodology Only a part of the whole methodology, the value assessment, is used to have a better insight in the values of the church and its context. This method is based on three criteria: architecture, interior and context. Additional sub-criteria are included, in order to have an overall analysis for each criteria. Architecture includes building date, type, function, style, integrity of architectural type, architectural concept, etc.. In case of the interior, consistency with architecture, unity of style and coherence of the artistic concept are emphasized. The furniture is analysed as a whole and not piece by piece. The spatial context is also taken into account since the building is never an isolated island. The focus lays on the relationship of the building with its environment, the open space around the building, the comparison of building scale with the context, the historic context and the stakeholders who initiated the construction. It is from utmost important that the cultural-historical meaning is identified. Thinking, posing questions and reasoning will give answers on all these criteria and sub-criteria. The value assessment determines three possible values: »» A: highest valuable – protection is advised »» B: valuable – interesting but protection is not advised »» C: limited valuable – no protection advised Each criteria receives a score, resulting in a code such as AAC (Protection for architecture advised; Protection for interior advised; limited value of context, no protection advised) . The code is accompanied with motivation or attention points. After the building description and the value assessment, policy options based on the results are discussed.204 204 COOMANS, Thomas, Kerken in neostijlen in Vlaanderen : ontwikkeling en implementatie van een methodologie voor de bescherming en de monumenFig. 230 View towards the west facade of the church Fig. 231 Choir of the church
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Description Architecture The St Joseph church was built from 1880 (consecration first stone) until 1883 (inauguration) in Ghent, East Flanders. However, most of the glass stained windows and murals were executed between 1884 and 1911. Architect Auguste Van Assche designed the parish church for the Church Fabric of St Joseph parish, represented by priest Aloïs Joos. Van Assche was part of the St Luke movement, led by Jean Baptiste Bethune. The combination of a sober, predictable Scheldt Gothic for exterior with the colourful, experimental High Victorian style for the interior indicates the church is Reformed Gothic. The original architectural concept is based the five principles of the St Luke movement: Catholic basis, national character, one style, architecture as mother of all arts and unity of conception and execution. The architect, painters, sculptors and stained glass artist were all part of the St Luke movement and were all aware of the importance of those principles. The building radiates Catholicism, the Scheldt Gothic emphasizes the local character, two styles are combined but nevertheless clearly distinguishable, the impressive architecture dominates but is supported by sculpture and painting and there is explicit unity of conception and execution. It is one of the only new built St Luke churches that approaches the ‘ideal medieval church’ so closely. Until today, the high level of detail is still noticeable in the moulures, the Tournai capitels and the wooden vaults. The integrity of the architectural concept is preserved, since there are no interventions made and the church is still used for religious purpose.
tenzorg van het negentiende-eeuwse kerkelijk architecturaal patrimonium in Vlaanderen, s.n., 2003, p. 33
Interior The mural paintings and glass stained windows are already briefly explained in the previous criteria. They mural paintings in the choir, transept and the polychromy are executed by atelier Bressers. The Way of the Cross is executed by M. Coppejans. All paintings have, together with the floor tiles, a vivid colour scheme. The same goes for the stained glass windows, made by Joseph Casier. Both murals and windows also contain less archaic figures, compared to the previous archaeological neo-Gothic. The furniture is mostly made between 1884 and 1909 by Mathias Zens, a former student of St Luke. Since he was part of the St Luke movement, he also applied the rules during the conception and execution of the furniture. Therefore, all the elements are conceived in one style unity and consistent with the architecture. The oak furniture consists of highly detailed carvings. Again, they are less archaic and refer to Reformed Gothic. The original altars, pulpit, communion rails, confessionals, candle stands, saint’s statues, etc. are all present but not in their original place. Since all the elements are well maintained and conserved, it is possible to set up the original Tridentine layout. To conclude, the integrity of the the interior is high. Context The church has always been an integrated part of Rabot. The urban development placed the church in the middle of the neighbourhood, visible from every view angle in the radiating streets. It had the aim to bind the workmen to the St Joseph parish, and is part of the industrial 19th century history. At the same time, the church was a tool from the ultraCatholic Ultramontanes and St Vincentius a Paulo organization, led by textile baron Joseph de Hemptinne, to moralize the textile workers in order to revive an harmonic Christian class society. Priest Aloïs Joost was the dynamic force behind the project and initiated the construction of the church together with Joseph de Hemptinne, donator of plot, money and goods. Until today, the history of Rabot is
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still present in the urban landscape, although not always visible. The neighbourhood has known several migration waves and influenced the quarter, that became multi-cultural. The scale of the church dominates the small scale of working-class houses and the space is considered as the largest covered public space in the neighbourhood. The public space in front and around the church has also potential, since it joins the Wondelgemstraat, a busy commercial street. Value assessment The church is a result of several outcomes. It is an unique piece of art where every choice is done for a specific reason. The specificity of time, place, stakeholders and architectural concept is striking. The context, architecture and interior all originated from a mutual story and same reasoning. The church was part of an important urban development in the spirit of the 19th century industrial revolution. Nowadays, it is part of an urban landscape, marked by its industrial history. On the other hand, a very influential group of ultra-Catholics initiated this project, with the aim to revive a
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harmonic Christian class society. The design of church, interior and furniture is conceived as one architectural concept, following the same St Luke principles and resulting in one piece of art. Until today, the church is maintained in its original state, although the context totally changed. To conclude, the value of all three criteria is high. The church architecture and interior have high artistic, (building)historic, social, cultural, spiritual and folkloric values. The context has (building)historic, social, cultural and folkloric values. Therefore, the score results in AAA. Policy options The St Joseph church and its furniture are protected as a monument by the Flemish Region in 2003. ‘A’ for architecture and ‘A’ for furniture confirm this official protection policy.205 205 Protection file, 31 January 2003. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, f. beschermingsFig. 232 Radial street pattern opens the view towards the church
Context also received an ‘A’, but is not yet protected as urban landscape. In order to conserve, maintain and transmit the urban landscape to the next generation, it is advised to protect the radial street pattern in which St Joseph church has originated. This way, the integrity of the place is safeguarded and the urban landscape will be perceived as an asset in future development.
This description from the Nara Document is used to develop an instrument in order to better grasp this layered concept of authenticity. Each aspect and dimension represent an axis on the grid. This way, the relationship can be visualised between dimensions and aspects to make authenticity judgments.
7.1.2. Authenticity
The Nara Document on Authenticity states in article 10 that “Authenticity appears the essential qualifying factor concerning values. The understanding of authenticity plays a fundamental role in all scientific studies of the cultural heritage, in conservation and restoration planning, as well as within the inscription procedures used for the World Heritage Convention and other cultural heritage inventories”206 However, the concept of authenticity stays difficult to grasp. Therefore, the Nara Grid is a suitable tool to gain insight in the authenticity of heritage. The tool is based on the Nara Document on Authenticity to understand the various aspects of authenticity of built heritage. Method Further one, the Nara Document explains “Depending on the nature of the cultural heritage, its cultural context, and its evolution through time, authenticity judgments may be linked to the worth of a great variety of sources of information. Aspects of the sources may include form and design, materials and substance, use and function, traditions and techniques, location and setting, and spirit and feeling, and other internal and external factors. The use of these sources permits elaboration of the specific artistic, historic, social, and scientific dimensions of the cultural heritage being examined.”207 dossier 206 The Nara Document on Authenticity, Nara(Japan), 16 November 1994 Raymond Lemaire & Herb Stovel (ICOMOS) 207 The Nara Document on Authenticity, Nara(Japan), 16 November 1994 Raymond Lemaire & Herb Stovel
(ICOMOS)
Table 9 >> Nara grid elaborated for St Joseph church
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7.1.3. Nara grid DIMENSIONS of the heritage
ASPECTS of the heritage
Artistic
Historic
The church a perfect example of the “reformed gothic” (1865-1885). The configuration of all the elements led to one piece of art. The sober Scheldt Gothic is combined with the colourful High Victorian style for the interior.
The church is based on the principles of ‘the ideal medieval church’ according to Bressers and Van Assche.
Material and substance
The local materials are a proof of the localization in East-Flanders of the Puginesk gothic revival. Furthermore, the choice of the specific materials supports the definition of different zones in the church. The architect used richer materials in the east side of the church (sacral space) than in the west side (space of parish).
The materials are from different areas in Belgium and are linked to important quarries along the Scheldt in Tournai, Havelange and Boom.
Use and function
The church was thé perfect tool for the St Luke movement to build an ideal neo-Gothic building based on their five principles ( Catholic basis, national character, one style, architecture as mother of all arts and unity of conception and execution) .
The building is always been a parish church and the interior is a witness of the changing layout. Thanks to the preservation of the furniture, it is possible to reconstruct the Tridentine layout from before the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
Tradition, techniques and craftsmanship
Every (im)movable element of the building is designed and executed with a great attention for detail, quality and craftsmanship according to the neo-Gothic.
The immovable and movable elements are a witness of the craftsmanship of the St Luke movement.
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The church is navel of the neighbourhood Rabot, part of the 19th century development of the working class neighbourhood of the textile industry.
The church is, according to the St Luke movement, a ‘true’ building where Christians can practice their faith in a moral and spiritual environment. The material church (vestibule, ship and choir) is linked to the spiritual church.
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Form and design
Location and setting
Spirit and feeling
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DIMENSIONS of the heritage
ASPECTS of the heritage
Social
Scientific
The size of the church reflects the original amount of people in the church and is an indirect proof of the increase of the population in the 19th century due to the industrial revolution
The evolution of the plan and the architecture make it possible to compare with other types of neo-Gothic churches of 19th century.
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The materials are also used in other churches in the 13th-14th century and in the neo-Gothic churches in the 19th century.
The church was the figurative heart of the neighbourhood and brought people together for religious, cultural and social activities
Comparing the former Tridentine layout and the current layout useful to investigate the process of modernisation of the church, due to the second Vatican council
The involved craftmen were par of the St Luke movement and starte a bottom up of medieval traditional techniques and craftsmanship
The (un)movable elements give a better image and understanding on the craftsmanship and techniques used by the Saint-Lucas movement
Location and setting
The building is a figurative panopticon, visible from everywhere in the Rabot neighbourhood and symbolises the social control of neighbourhood
The neighbourhood evolved through time and the church remained a landmark. The (dis)connection through time between the monument and the neighbourhood on social level should be investigated to explain the current relationship between the two to support the reconversion project. Furthermore, the church is one of the many 19th century neogothical churches in Belgium and could be compared with other churches in the 19th century industrial border of Ghent.
Spirit and feeling
The parish church is a religious building and used as a place for devotion and a moment of silence.
The monument can be used to investigate the message (be a devoted person) that the Ultramontanes, Vincentians and St Luke movement tried to formulate and express in this building
Form and design
Material and substance
Use and function
Tradition, techniques and craftsmanship
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Authenticity judgement Herb Stovel, among others responsible for the Nara Document, wrote an article on the effective use of authenticity. Stovel explains that something is authentic if it has the ability to convey or transmit its significance in time.”208 Significance of (in)tangible heritage is based on its values. The St Joseph church has social, spiritual, cultural, (building) historic and folkloric values. This outcome is based on the Nara Grid and the value assessment in chapter 7.1.1. Value assessment of churches in neo-styles. Through those values, significance can be assessed. The monument is significant on several levels. On a spiritual level, since it is a place of silence where you can pray or have a quiet moment, away from the busy world outside. On a social level, because the St Joseph church always served as a public space for the community to gather. On a historic level, as it is part of the 19th century industrial Ghent, of a Christian past and of the St Luke architecture. On folkloric level, by being originated from Flemish Christian traditions and habits. And finally also on a cultural level, since the building still contains most of its original elements based on tradition and craftsmanship. 208 STOVEL, Herb, Effective use of authenticity and integrity as World Heritage Qualifying conditions, City & Time, 2(3):3, 2007
Since significance on several levels is still present, the building has the ability to convey or transmit it. We can thus conclude, based on the Nara Grid scheme and the value assessment in chapter 7.1.1., that the authenticity of the building is high. In order to actually transmit it to the next generation, the building should be protected, conserved and maintained.
7.1.4. Synthesis plans
The synthesis plans conclude the chapter. It is based on the value and authenticity assessment in the previous sub-chapters Value assessment of churches in neo-styles and Authenticity. Four categories give a gradual increase of value, from negative to high value. The categories are defined in detail in the following table 10.
Fig. 233 > Value assessment schemes: ground floor Fig. 234 >> Value assessment schemes: cross section, east and west façades Fig. 235 >> Value assessment schemes: longitudinal section, north and south façades Table 10 Four categories defining the value assessment
High Valuable
The elements have a high artistic, social, scientific and historic value and determine the heritage value
Valuable
The elements have artistic, social, scientific and historic value and support the heritage value
Neutral
The elements had an artistic, social, scientific and historic value but lost a part by later adaptations and/or additions. Therefore, they don’t add anything to the heritage value of the building Later added elements which neither disturb or enrich the heritage value
Negative
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The elements have a disturbing effect on the heritage value of the building and influences it negatively
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Longitudinal section
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7.2. Reconversion The final sub-chapter takes into account every analysis and the assessment of the values and authenticity. The synthesis plans on the value assessment give the potential intervention zones.
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The technical assessment led towards the state of conservation which is of utmost importance for the restoration advice. The general requirements and the programme are based on the final proposal of the economic analysis. Further on, the zoning is the result of the combination of the intervention plan with the proposal programme. A timeline explains how the the reconversion process evolves through time, taking into account restoration advice, general requirements, programme and potential intervention zones. Finally, a proposal concludes the chapter by showing the potential of the church with a new function.
7.2.1. Intervention zones Since the church has an easy but strict value assessment plan, it is a challenge to find possible intervention zones to revive the church in its future function. The following plan gives a rational overview of every possible intervention in the future. It is based on the value assessment synthesis plans in 7.1.3. Synthesis plan. The reuse project can intervene on following parts: the main entrance, annexes and crypt. 4
The main entrance (1) The west façade on the Wondelgemstraat presents the church to the outside world. Its massive structure could be encountered as impressive and uninviting. However, the large portal has the potential to invite people inside. This is unfortunately not the case today, since the large massive, wooden entrance doors are often closed for public and blocking the view inside. Once one enters the church, a dark, wooden buffer zone separates the interior from the street. Fig. 236 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Scheme showing intervention zones for the reuse project
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To build a better communication between outside and inside, future design should think about a more visually inviting entrance zone. The doors have indeed a high value, mostly because it is part of a bigger whole. This should however not prevent thinking about design solutions that attract people inside. Public space (2) The public space around the church is nowadays occupied by cars which decreases the value of the surroundings and changes the perception of the church. In order to revive the public space around the church, the parking needs to be removed. The additional space opens the possibilities for interventions, as long as it respects the values and the configuration of the church. Annexes (3) Since north and south annexes are completely refurbished in the past, their value is limited. Both spaces have the potential to intervene without affecting the values of the church. The spaces give the opportunity for services, necessary to host a large amount of people. It also gives the possibility to handle the weak accessibility for disabled. Crypt (4) The crypt received a high value since it is part of the original concept of the church. Although the church and crypt belong together, the crypt does not have a specific Catholic connotation. This opens possibilities, since the space could host a wider variety of functions. However, the space deals with limited accessibility, high fluctuating humidity and lack of daylight which makes it unsuitable for public activities. The crypt has to be completely restored to allow use possibilities. Existing technical zone, which contains the heating system and other infrastructure, will stay as it is, but the rest of the surface could gain a much higher value and use.
7.2.2. Restoration advice
The interventions can be divided in two groups: the reuse project and the restoration advice. Because the church is in overall good state, it can already be put in use as it is. However, restoration should follow the development of the re-use proposal. As for the restoration advice, the following outline of interventions must be taken into account. State of Conservation The restoration advice follows the pathology analysis as discussed in the technical analysis chapter, chapter 5.6 State of conservation. According to the state of conservation; however several damages are of critical impact and should be treated to avoid further or additional damage, the exterior of the church is in rather good state. What is probably the most important and most urgent intervention is the investigation of crack patterns and monitoring of the crack settlements of the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; annexes. The interior, according to chapter 5.6 State of conservation, is in overall good condition without many severe damages threatening the intrinsic value of the church. Most important is further research into the salt efflorescence and crypto-efflorescence observed at the height of the mural paintings. Besides conducting technical analyses to do so, it is designated to permanently monitor the church in order to understand the conditions and all factors affecting the interior climate of the church. Looking at the concluding statements on state of conservation, no urgent interventions need to be undertaken for the church to possibly accommodate a reconversion proposal. Since existing cracks have been consolidated and are stabilized, the interior is safeguarded from water infiltration and consequently damage of the mural paintings. As such, the church â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;an sichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is in considerable condition to be preserved and reallocated. Therefore, primary phase can focus first on more crucial interventions. Primary phase The crack settlement and crack patterns
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of the annexes need to be studied in a first phase. Contiguous research will clarify which interventions need to be undertaken to consolidate and preserve the building. At the same time, organization of basic infrastructure can be carried out. The sacristy and other secondary, church-supporting functions (currently hosted in the annex) will vanish together with the consecration of the church. Therefore, the space that becomes available can be used to practically organize the building in the perspective of the future use. By focussing on secondary functions first, the church will at all times be able to keep on organizing temporary activities, making sure the necessary infrastructure is already available. In the meantime, further technical analysis of the damaged wall paintings, suffering from salt efflorescence, will give clear insights in the damage-affecting factors. After this investigation specific solutions can be proposed to stabilize the damage and restoration of the overall wall paintings can be considered. Monitoring of the interior as well as exterior climate of church and crypt will start from the very beginning together with the first re-use interventions in order to study their impact on the existing structure and climate. In this way each undertaken action can be observed in relation to the building. Second phase After addressing first and primary interventions, the actual re-use proposal can be simultaneously put in place. Reallocation can be initiated together with a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;step-by-stepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; restoration of the overall building. Restoration works that should be carried out in this stage are: overall cleaning of façades to remove biological colonization and black crust, further research into the damage impact caused by previous restorations of the brickwork in the gables and along buttresses, and the overall repointing and freshening up of the masonry. As for the interior, together with the elaboration of the permanent re-use proposal, extensive study on stability and construction of the floor should be carried out. In case the current
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flooring turns out to be insufficient for the future use, flooring restoration proposal should be included in the re-use project. Possible re-use of the crypt asks for full restoration of the partially underground space. Since the climate is very humid, the underground space is very dark (almost no daylight), a lot of damages occurred and since the crypt has no sufficient foundations, a lot of work needs to be carried out to make this a functional and usable space once again. Monitoring of the church and crypt, interior as well as exterior climate, will give (again) direct information on the impact of the new use and occupation on the climate and therefore conservation of the church. From the moment a problem occurs it will be rather easy to intervene almost immediately.
7.2.3. Programme
According to 6.4.6. Final conclusion, the programme is double-folded. The church will host a combination of museum and community center, while the crypt the crypt is also part of this center but has the flexibility to become for example polyvalent space, temporary market, study space for students or headquarter from the local youth movement, depending on the wishes of the neighbourhood. Out-of-the-box solutions should be considered but a specific programme should be based on further research. It is however important to emphasize this flexibility, that has the potential to support the heavy task of the church to become again the real center of the neighbourhood. It shows the building from another perspective but at the same time makes people perceive the former church in another way. The community centre gathers communities in and around the church to enrich the neighbourhood. The building unites different types of activities in accordance to requirements such as language and art courses, dancing classes, creative ateliers, workshop spaces, events, certain services... Currently, the church is used for its public space in front of the main entrance. Most people spend their
time there and do not use the interior of the church. Outdoor space and social gatherings are important for the community. The aim of the reconversion project is to show that the church can once again act as a place to meet, exchange, learn, exercise, and be an outdoor space too. To stress that even more, the crypt will be opened to create stronger relationship between the indoor and the outdoor. The focus is on integration of built environment around and commercial and social activities adjacent to the church.
7.2.4. General requirements 1/ The main entrance on the Wondelgemstraat will be representative and inviting for everyone. The buffer zone for the entrance needs some adaptations to open the church visually and to allow higher intake of natural light and ventilation.
around the building will change its image with the focus on pedestrians and active social life. 4/ Services are necessary to support the primary functions. These secondary functions are toilets, storage, food preparation area(no real kitchen), information desk, cloakrooms, services for employees, etc.. 5/ The poor accessibility due to the higher level of the church (1,5m more or less) makes it impossible for disabled to enter the building. This problem can be solved by an elevator and ramps that will allow free movement for all.
2/ In the context of the re-use programme, the building acts as a covered-public spacemuseum, while the new structures are foreseen as separated interior spaces with appropriated climate and structural requirements (i.e. heating or sound insulation), by all means not affecting the interior quality of the church. In other words, the church space will stay intact to create an interactive museum. Independent structures that do not require intensive destruction of the original structure (i.e. box-in-box system) will be positioned in the former church to host activities that require a separated, climatised space. 3/ The crypt is flexible, considering only the spatiality has significant value, since large pillars and vaults divide the space rhythmically. High relative humidity, lack of daylight and restricted accessibility should be solved for full implementation of the programme. The space Fig. 237 â&#x20AC;&#x160;>> Zoning of the proposal: intervention space (blue), symbolic space (beige), experience space (yellow) and facilities (green)
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7.2.5. Zoning
Intervention space As the name says, the intervention space is where the new function for the church will take place. It includes the nave and the aisles. The recommendation is to keep the ground floor as transparent and open as possible to allow better communication within the church. The layout is free and adaptable. In the first phase of implementation process, the intervention space will work as a large plane that takes up only specific parts for new activities and uses temporary methods for space separation (no major structures yet).
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Symbolic space Symbolic space represents preserved artistic, historic and architectural value of the church. Intervention zones are the choir and the area around the walls (due to mural paintings and sculptures), and will have indications about their symbolic meaning in the context of the Catholic Church. The choir, transept and aisls will be brought to its original layout and will be accessible for everyone. The space will remain as it is and serves for museum purpose: exhibition and education on religious objects. Subtle separation of this area is required to protect the originals from potential damage. The area can be used for additional temporary exhibitions.
Experience - space Experience space is the zone where one has the opportunity to experience the grandiosity of the architecture and reflect. This area represents the link between the original, religious idea (the symbolic space) and the new, profane interpretation (the intervention space) of the church. It is a free, open zone in the transept, and contains the height difference between ship and choir. The choir acts like a stage, able to host performances and concerts. The zone can expand to some parts of symbolic and/or intervention space, depending on the size of the performance, temporary event, bar or other social activity.
Facilities The new function requires facilities that the church at the moment does not fulfil. The two side annexes on the north and the south faรงade will be used as storage, cloakroom, toilets and service for the employers. Similar applies for the lower level in the north annex that will provide facilities for the crypt.
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Entrances The new community centre and museum will use the existing entrances (and fire exists) on the ground floor; no new opening is required. The main entrance to the church will retain its function. Entrance for people with disabilities is situated on the north façade, in the annex, next to the Togolese chapel. There will be an elevator installed and will connect the church with the crypt, as well. Additional, there will be two additional fire exists, side doors in aisles that are currently not in use. Crypt The crypt will be accessible through the existing entrance on the north façade that will be adapted to the standards. The existing south entrance in the crypt will remain for technical purpose (heating, installations, storage, etc.) therefore will not be open to the public. If needed in the future, there are the possibilities to adapt it for public access. New intervention in the crypt will have to provide more daylight and additional and inviting entrances.
7.2.6. Conceptual proposal Concept First of all, the proposal discussed here is merely a possibility and in any case not binding. Further research into the re-use proposal should investigate more appropriate composition of the boxes, the in-between spaces it generates and the organisation of necessary infrastructure within the boxes. The concept aims to be an attempt in formulating an abstract outline for a possible re-use intervention. This study can serve as base to later on propose a feasible design proposal. The conceptual proposal assumes an elongated shape as overall volumetry for the community centre. On the ground floor, the floor plan of the church will be supplemented with two cuboid structures, placed perpendicular to the central axis of the church. At first, these boxes structure and divide the space, generating (semi)-enclosed zones to accommodate several activities. In between the both structures, the
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overall width of the church remains readable in order not to diminish the spatial experience of the massive dimensions of the building. From the moment one enters the church along the main axis, a passageway, that cuts through the, so called, boxes on the ground floor, accentuates the total length of the church and guides visitors’ view to the choir, the heart of the church. This passageway is dividing both boxes in two separate volumes, generating in total four ground floor units that can be used for different functions and activities. The elongated ground floor volume immediately forms the base and support for the upper box. This box is conceived as a ‘tunnellike’ space highlighting the length of the church. The upper structure can accommodate several functions either as one space or divided by flexible lightweight walls. At the end of ‘tunnel’, towards the east facade, the window opening becomes a viewpoint from which one can observe the choir and the exhibited set of original furniture telling the history of the building. On the other end of the space, there is the view to the organ. If there is an organ concert or a dance performance in this zone planned, the space becomes a stage with auditorium. By making the roof of the upper box accessible for visitors, the new platform offers a rare way of observing the church from a higher level. Additionally, this space could be used for representative activities, creating the extraordinary scenography in the highest part of the building, right under the wooden roof structure. The main idea behind this concept enhances artistic and architectural values of the church by directing visitor’s movements and views through the layout of the boxes. Every opening tells a story about the church and terraces and balconies allow closer contact and different perspectives to elements that are usually unreachable. Visitors have a unique opportunity to discover the church from different angles and heights. This way, the church does not become a support volume of the new function, but the newly implemented function preserves the
values and offers additional, unconventional experiences of a monument. Interventions in practice The architectural principle used is box-in-abox system, where the enclosed units function independently from the church. This way, the church acts as a covered public space. At the same time it functions as a museum or an exhibition space, considering the artistic features in the interior. Apart from the church itself, the crypt provides plenty of available surface for new activities of the community centre. To preserve the artistic, historic and architectural value of the church, the choir and the area around the walls (mural paintings and sculptures) will stay intact. The original setup of the choir, transept and aisls will exhibit the furniture in its full potential. The space will serve for museum purpose: exhibition and education on religious objects. The main entrance The existing wooden structure will be dismantled and stored, and a new, preferably glass structure will serve the function instead. Having in mind that every object in the church is protected, its replacement would have the least impact on the global value of the church. The purpose of the wooden buffer structure more technical than artistic. The original form and size will be kept to fit in the overall configuration of the church, only the material will be exchanged for a more transparent one. This way, a better communication between outside and inside occurs since the buffer zone invites instead of blocks people from inside. Boxes The boxes will be conceived as selfmaintaining structures, able to provide the spaces the necessary climate and conditions, without affecting or introducing the need to alter the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; climate in a negative sense. Infrastructure such as heating, ventilation etc. will be incorporated in the thickness of the construction. Through confined holes in the Fig. 238 â&#x20AC;&#x160; Main principles of conceptual proposal
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church floor, a connection can be made with the technical space in the crypt. In this case, the floor tiles taken out to make the holes can be stored in the church and, if necessary, reused to complete the floor once again. Introducing these boxes as self-supporting structures, gives the re-use proposal its flexible dimension, being able to reverse the interventions in the perspective of future change of function. In that occasion, the boxes can be taken out, only leaving the connection holes with the crypt in place. It needs to be mentioned that further research is necessary to understand the effect of the newly introduced point loads on the overall capacity of the floors. Further structural analysis will show whether it is necessary to provide additional supports in the crypt and how they will affect the future use of the underground space. Annexes North and south annexes support the new function of the church and there will be bigger intervention required. Due to lack of adequate foundation, these parts of the church show some structural problems. Through adapting the space for the new services, these issues will be solved with adding new foundations, lowering the level until the crypt (currently it has shallow foundations) and providing a second set of services. This intervention comes first in the restoration project. Crypt The crypt will have similar plan as it has today, except the self-functioning structures can be incorporated within the existing vaults. There will be individual, smaller spaces for activities but also larger, more open spaces adaptable for events (i.e. food market, book or art fairs, events, courses, community meetings etc.). Individual space rentals should be enabled through clear separation of areas. Further research into the re-use intervention for the church will show the impact on the crypt, meaning that the permanent and ‘final’ spatial proposal for the crypt will be secondary to the church in order to support its reallocation.
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7.2.7. Time management
At the moment, the church is definitely not the social centre of the neighbourhood. Low awareness of its value by the neighbours makes it difficult to say that it can become a community centre and museum from one day to another. Raising awareness and sensitise people thus becomes the most important task before a definite implementation of the new function. Additionally, capital has to be found to pay the interventions. The reuse project needs to become a reuse process in order to raise awareness, search for common ground, create community involvement, make people believe in this project and be able to pay the bills. Only this way, the process will lead to a sustainable reconversion. Time management is in this case from utmost importance. Time management is translated into a timeline, found on pages 238-239, that proposes a set of phases, based on the restoration advice and the conceptual proposal. It consists of four phases, starting with a soft approach by using the church as public space without additional interventions, and evolving towards the final reuse proposal in small steps.
Fig. 239 >> Conceptual plans for the proposal, floor plans, longitudinal and cross section Fig. 240 >> Implementation phases 1-4
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Opening the church regularly Original furniture layout in the choir Setup the museum configuration Setup monitoring devices
PHASE 2 »» Restoration and adaptation of annexes »» Accessibility for all: elevator & ramps »» Regular activities in open plan mode (no boxes yet)
PHASE 3 »» Installation of 'boxes' »» First use of the crypt
PHASE 4 »» Opening of the crypt "new public space"
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7.3. Conclusion The masterplan is considered as the final chapter of an elaborated research on the reuse of St Joseph church. The first subchapter, the heritage assessment, justifies why the church should be conserved and transmitted to the next generation. For the value assessment, the method of professor Coomans â&#x20AC;&#x153;kerken in neostijlen in Vlaanderenâ&#x20AC;? is used. All three criterias, architecture, interior and context, were evaluated as highest valuable and protection is advised. The church architecture and interior have high artistic, (building) historic, social, cultural, spiritual and folkloric values. The context has (building)historic, social, cultural and folkloric values. Therefore, the score results in AAA. In terms of heritage policy, protection is in every case advised. This is already the case for architecture and interior on regional level (only and highest level), but not for context. It is advised to protect the original urban development, containing the radial street pattern and St Joseph in the middle, as urban landscape. This way, the integrity of the St Joseph church is safeguarded and the urban landscape will be perceived as an asset in future development. The authenticity assessment is based on the Nara grid and the previous method to assess nineteenth century churches. Both determine the values of the church, were its significance is based on. The monument is significant on spiritual, social, historic, folkloric and cultural level. Since the building has the ability to convey this significance, the authenticity of the building is high. In order to actually transmit it to the next generation, the St Joseph church should be protected, conserved and maintained. The synthesis plan concludes the first chapter and is based on the value and authenticity assessment. The second subchapter concerns the reconversion of the church and crypt. It takes into account every analysis and the value and authenticity assessment. The synthesis plan is the basis for the creation of potential intervention zones which are the main entrance,
the public space, the annexes and the crypt. The restoration advice takes into account restorations based on the state of conservation and general interventions based on the reuse project. It is divided into two phases to make sure critical interventions are executed first. The programme is double-folded. The church will host a combination of museum and community centre, while the crypt the crypt is also part of this centre but has the flexibility to become for example polyvalent space, temporary market, study space for students or headquarter from the local youth movement, depending on the wishes of the neighbourhood. General requirements on main entrance, box-in-box principles, crypt, services and accessibility are included to have guidelines to implement the programme into church and crypt. Once programme and general requirements are set, zones are determined. The zoning scheme combines intervention space, symbolic space, experience space, facilities and entrances in order to have a clear idea on the organization of the space. The conceptual proposal uses the zoning scheme to implement new interventions in the ship of the church and the public space around the church, to respect high valuable elements and provide the building with appropriate accessibility and services. This is both elaborated on conceptual level with drawings, sections and plans, and on practical level, explaining some architectural principles. However, this proposal is merely a possibility and in any case not binding. The concept aims to be an attempt in formulating an abstract outline for a possible re-use intervention, whereas the study can serve as base for a future concrete design proposal. Finally, The reuse project needs to become a reuse process in order to raise awareness, search for common ground, create community involvement, make people believe in this project and be able to pay the bills. Only this way, the process will lead to a sustainable reconversion. The timeline gives an overview on the different phases of the reconversion process, based on the restoration advice and the conceptual proposal.
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8 Reflection
8.1. Reflection Through research, we aimed to find a way to preserve and transmit the St Joseph church to the next generation. The research started with an analysis on different fields that resulted in authenticity and value assessment, and ended with a reconversion proposal. Methodologies on different fields were defined. Research, technical survey, social survey and reuse method were based on specific sources such as archival sources, St Joseph church, literature, on site visits, workshops and questionnaire. We can be proud of the result. Every analysis has been elaborated in depth, resulting in different points of view on the church and its surrounding. The urban analysis went from large to small scale, the social part gave insight on the inhabitants of Rabot, the architectural analysis evaluated the development from design to current situation, the technical study concludes with the state of conservation and the economic study learned how to perceive a monument in economic terms. All chapters made it possible to judge the authenticity and value of St Joseph church and it surroundings in a correct way. We are now aware that St Joseph is part of an urban landscape, marked by its industrial history. At the same time, the church has difficulties to fit in its multi-cultural context nowadays. We tried to understand this relationship by attending events, doing on site research, talking and asking for opinions, organizing an Open Day and conducting a survey. This shows a reconversion proposal should always be based on heritage ànd stakeholders expertise. The proposal shows the potential of the monument. Yes, the combination of community centre and museum seems the ‘most obvious’ choice and at the same time an ‘innocent’ solution. However, the results of the economic analysis prove this is a sustainable solution, taking into account the context, the research expertise and the wish of the stakeholders. The crypt is considered as an asset. It makes
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people think out of the box, creates the possible to experiment with ‘participation through design’ principles and lightens the challenging reconversion process of the upper church spaces. Although the final proposal is a conceptual design, we don’t see it as fixed. We do believe that it presents the church as creative, cultural and social heart of Rabot. However, only proposing this reuse project does not guarantee its success. A neglected monument cannot change into a gathering space in only one day. This means this process will take time. Raising awareness, sensitizing, organizing events and workshops, conducting surveys, etc. are necessary to fulfil the aim to give the church back to the neighbourhood. After all, the whole project pushed ourselves to a higher level. The tight schedule forced us to work efficiently and only elaborate the necessity. The cooperation in group worked out very well, since we combined our individual strengths and learned from each other. Communicating was from utmost importance. We discussed, reviewed, planned and made schemes in order to have a common idea about goals and tasks. Above all, we created a method to approach heritage in future projects. These insights will be of use in our later career. There are nevertheless things we were not able to do now or that we would do differently now. We dealt with difficulties during our archival research. Which information is useful and what to select? How can we work as efficient as possible? Due to our tight schedule, it was difficult to read everything on time. However, you only learn by doing and next time the selection process will probably go a little easier. Secondly, we had some troubles processing the data from our technical survey. 3D visualisation of the furniture did not work out for all the furniture but it did give us the chance to experiment. The surveyed data also did not always enrich the damage analysis. Some parts weren’t photographed and rectified and thus not able to be analysed. Third, we were not able to connect with the whole neighbourhood, although this seems rather impossible in only
6 months. We are nevertheless proud of our Open Day, where we were able to reach and sensitise more people than expected. We would do it definitely again, but take more preparation time. Finally, there was not enough time to think about a real design. However, we tried to show the possibilities by proposing conceptual principles that respect the values of church and crypt.
8.2. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next? Interview stakeholders - what about future management of the Church? In order to get full background for the re-use proposal it is necessary to get the feedback and point of view from the main stakeholders. Chapter 6.3.2 Stakeholders gave an overview of all stakeholders involved together with the impact of their power in making final decisions. In the case of Saint Joseph Church it will be the Church Fabric, the City of Ghent and Diocese that will have a final say in terms of future new use. In order to work out a feasible and durable re-use proposal it is indispensable to first have their perspective of the church in terms of its reallocation. In depth interviews will be necessary to understand the possibilities for the church in the future. Future research questions can be: Who will (financially) maintain the church in the future? What is the perspective on actual re-use and what are the possibilities? As the Church Fabric intents on giving back the church to the community, will it be a feasible solution since they will no longer be the owners after deconsecration of the church?
8.3. Thesis proposal Saint Joseph Church, facing desecration in 2017 and currently subject of research on its adaptable reuse, becomes a realistic project on the short term. But also in the bigger context concerning reallocation of religious architecture this project is highly relevant. Looking at the research that has been done so far and in the perspective of the future re-use, it seems as an inevitable opportunity to bring this reconversion story to the next level. Because what this exceptional piece of architecture above all needs is a workable management plan. What will actually happen in 2017? Who will manage and maintain the church? What is the broader perspective on the re-use and how can this piece of heritage be adopted as an asset in the future? The valuable research presented in this book, as result of a more than pleasant cooperation between three students, can serve as a helpful base to work out a feasible reuse proposal. The following thesis will focus on a feasible reconversion proposal and guiding management plan.
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9 Annexes
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10 Glossary Babbelsoup Social, charity event organised by the Church fabric for sharing free soup in front of the St Joseph church Binnenstad Historic city centre of Ghent, a cultural trade and service centre Beluik Small, narrow, worker houses that face a dead end street; typical for industrial revolution BEF Belgian Francs BENELUX Belgium - Netherlands - Luxemburg Kernstad Historic centre of Ghent with its surrounding 19th century border; industrial and workers class neighbourhoods MCA Multi Criteria Analysis Patent law Taxes on goods imported into or exported from the city Rabotten Locks for regulation of water level on the canals in medieval Ghent used to enable navigation Randstad Ghent periphery with open landscape RH Relative Humidity ROS Ruimtelijke Ontwikkelingsstructuur RSG Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent RUP Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan Stenen High, stone-built houses owned by the patricians; a symbol of power and wealth of the bourgeois elites in 13th century Ghent St Thomas and St Luke Guild An association of Christian artists, founded at the first congress of Malines in 1863 SWOT Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat
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11 Bibliography Sources BRESSERS, Adrien & VAN ASSCHE, Auguste, de kerken der middeleeuwen en haer symbolismus. Gent, 1865 Decreet betreffende de materiële organisatie en de werking van de erkende erediensten, Vlaamse Regering, Brussel, 7 mei 2004 “fotorepertorium van het meubilair van de Belgische bedehuizen”, 130 delen (voor Vlaanderen), Brussel, KIK, 1972-1984 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 1 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, I. Kerk, het orgel Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie,Photos Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, Architecturale tekeningen, Auguste Van Assche Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, Nouveau plan parcellaire de la ville de Gand et d’une partie de sa banlieue,à l’échelle de 1:2.500 d’après les plans cadastraux et les derniers projets de l’administration communale. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, 3682 Gent, Kadaster Gent, Gent, Afdeling 10, Sectie K
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12 List of figures Fig. 1 Learning to know the neighbours, 28 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 2 Meeting with professor Thomas Coomans, 29 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 3 Babbelsoup, 20 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 4 Neighbourhood workshop on church reuse, 15 February 2016 © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 5 Discovering the neighbourhood with a Go Pro camera, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 6 Use of the total station during the technical survey day, 18-02-2016 © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 7 Stakeholders meeting, 12 January 2016 © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 8 Open Day, 04 May 2016 © Camilla Ferri Fig. 9 Open day teaser © Evy Bouwen Fig. 10 View towards the church from Wondelgemstraat, 26 January 2016 © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 11 Ghent Bing maps Fig. 12 Origin of Ghent Grootschalig Referentie Bestand Vlaanderen, AGIV Fig. 13 St Bavo’s Abbey https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/73705302 Fig. 14 City of Ghent 850AD Gent, STAM Fig. 15 City of Ghent 1274 Gent, STAM Fig. 16 City of Ghent 1400 Gent, STAM Fig. 17 City of Ghent 1600 Gent, STAM Fig. 18 City of Ghent 1778 Gent, STAM
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Fig. 19 The Coupure canal on the map of 1777 Count Johann Joseph-the FERRARIS, Cabinet Map of the Austrian Netherlands, 1777, Collection of Royal Library of Belgium, http://www.kbr.be/collections/cart_plan/ferraris/ ferraris_nl.html accessed on 27 May 2016 Fig. 20 Gas factory along the Verbindingskanaal http://www.gentblogt.be/2013/09/27/albert-sugg-en-debelle-epoque-in-gent-serie-1-23-de-verbindingsvaart/153le-canal-de-raccordement-et-lusine-a-gaz Fig. 21 Before damping of Lieve river, Rabot http://catherineboone.blogspot.be/2015/05/het-rabot-ingent-waar-heden-en.html Fig. 22 Lieve river today, Rabot http://www.gentblogt.be/2007/08/04/mamilaire-structuren Fig. 23 Ghent position in Europe STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Kaarten, Gent, 2002, p.5-7 Fig. 24 Ghent position in Benelux STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Kaarten, Gent, 2002, p.5-7 Fig. 25 Ghent position in Flanders STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Kaarten, Gent, 2002, p.5-7 Fig. 26 Zones in Ghent: the inner city, the core city and the urban agglomeration STAD GENT, Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Gent. Kaarten, Gent, 2002, p.5-7 Fig. 27 Ghent as a living city STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010 Fig. 28 Green Ghent STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010 Fig. 29 Ghent mobility STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010 Fig. 30 Ghent and business STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010 Fig. 31 Culture and leisure for Ghent STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010 Fig. 32 Structural landscape STAD GENT, Het ruimtelijk structuurplan Gent. Naar een kwaliteitsvolle en open stedelijke ruimte, Gent, 2010 Fig. 33 Keizerpark Ledeberg ©Layla Aerts
Fig. 34 Nieuwe molens before Tondelier project http://www.gentcement.be/2015/12/administratiegebouwnieuwe-molens-omgevormd-tot-appartementsgebouw
Fig. 52 Planned urban renewal project by POLO architects http://www.gentcement.be/2013/08/hoog-en-droog-hetlot-van-de-rabottorens, last consulted 17 March 2016
Fig. 35 Boerenhof collective gardening, Rabot, 26 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 53 Renovation and rehabilitation of the former mill factory into housing http://www.nieuwemolens.be/fotos, last consulted 17 March 2016
Fig. 36 Tondelier site with urban gardens http://stijnvandorpe.blogspot.be/ Fig. 37 Evolution of Rabot with neighbouring areas © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 38 Borders of neighbourhoods of Voorhaven, Langerbrugge and Beguinage&Prinsenhof © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 39 Densely developed neighbourhoods of Roigeem, Ekkergem and Dampoort © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 40 Former Wondelgemmeersen is divided in Verbindingsvaart and Rabot after digging the Verbindingscanal © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 41 Typology workers’ housing in Rabot © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 42 Housing typology typical for Tuinwijk in Harbour, Docks and Canal quarters © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 43 Example of unified workers houses in Rabot © Evy Bouwen Fig. 44 Housing typology visible in Prinsenhof © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 45 Social housing block typical for Verbindingsvaart © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 46 Social apartment block in garden cities © Evy Bouwen & Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 47 Housing typology in Rabot, 26 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 48 Function diagram © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 49 Public private spaces diagram © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 50 Overview of the sub-projects of ‘Bruggen naar Rabot’ urban renewal project https://stad.gent/bruggen-naar-rabot/stadsvernieuwingrabot-blaisantvest , last consulted 16 May 2016, p. 10 Fig. 51 Design for the extension of the Rabot park with an additional area of 2,6ha https://stad.gent/sites/default/files/page/ documents/201405_PU_BNR_nieuwsbrief9_LR.pdf, last consulted 17 March 2016
Fig. 54 St Joseph church seen from the Maria-Theresia street, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 55 Old picture of the former gasometers, to be integrated in the design of the new park http://www.pilootprojectenkunst.be/#!pilootprojecttondelier/c4hm , last consulted 17 March 2016 Fig. 56 Rabot tower before the demolition http://www.vriendenvanhetrabot.be/mail/nog-nooit-washet-rabot-zo-kleurrijk/attachment/rabot-toren-pieter-lozie02-636x310/, accessed 3 June 2016 Fig. 57 Overview plan for the renewal projects © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 58 Saint Joseph church in the urban context of Rabot © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 59 Urban development of Rabot, registered before 1875 Gent, Kadaster Gent, Gent, Afdeling 10, Sectie K, 66-66e Fig. 60 New plan of the city of Ghent and a part of the suburbs, second half of the 19th century Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, Nouveau plan parcellaire de la ville de Gand et d’une partie de sa banlieue,à l’échelle de 1:2.500 d’après les plans cadastraux et les derniers projets de l’administration communale. Fig. 61 People leaving their rubbish behind them at the entrance of the stairs of the church, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 62 Social gathering during the flower market in front of St Joseph church, May 4, 2016 © Camilla Ferri Fig. 63 Multicultural stratification of Rabot quarter, May 4, 2016 © Camilla Ferri Fig. 64 Social gather during the Babbel soup event, 20 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 65 Daily appropriation of the space in front of the main entrance of St Joseph church © Evy Bouwen Fig. 66 Population density, expressed in inh/km2 https://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ , accessed 3 June 2016 Fig. 67 Mean income per taxable person https://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ , accessed 3 June 2016
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Fig. 68 Ratio of non working people (able to work) https://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ , accessed 3 June 2016
for each nave, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 8
Fig. 69 Owners vs. renters ratio https://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ , accessed 3 June 2016
Fig. 83 Design 7, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir designed as hall church with a radiating chapel for each nave, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 9
Fig. 70 Amount of persons with foreign origin https://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ , accessed 3 June 2016 Fig. 71 Mean surface per house https://gent.buurtmonitor.be/ , accessed 3 June 2016 Fig. 72 Social encounter of different cultures in the neighbourhood encouraged by organisation of social events. Initiative organised by the Church fabric © Evy Bouwen Fig. 73 Side altar holy family, St Joseph church, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 74 Link between persons and institutions involved in construction of Saint Joseph church © Jelena Perusinovic & Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 75 Perspective of the church by Auguste Van Assche in order of the Church Fabric, 4 march 1873 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw Fig. 76 Proposals for the tower, elevations, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 16 Fig. 77 Design 1, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir with and without radiating chapels, s.d Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 3 Fig. 78 Design 2, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir with choir aisle and one radiating chapel at the level of the head altar, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 4 Fig. 79 s.d., design 3, floor plan. Rectangular-shaped, sacristy next to the radiating chapel, choir with choir aisle and one radiating chapel at the level of the head altar, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 5 Fig. 80 > s.d. , design 4, floor plan. Rectangular-shaped, sacristy next to the radiating chapel, choir with radiating chapels, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 6 Fig. 81 Design 5, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir with choir aisle and one radiating chapel at the level of the head altar, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 7 Fig. 82 Design 6, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir designed as hall church with a radiating chapel
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Fig. 84 Design 8, floor plan. Cross-shaped, sacristy next to the choir, choir designed as hall church with a radiating chapel for the head altar, s.d. Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 10 Fig. 85 First project, elevation south façade, 30 December 1872 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 29 Fig. 86 Second project, floor plan, between 30 December 1872 and 15 October 1873 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 34 Fig. 87 Third project, South façade, 15 October 1873 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 41 Fig. 88 Fourth project, Floor plan, 15 October 1873 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 50 Fig. 89 Official plans, elevation of the south façade, 14 March 1874 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 24 Fig. 90 Official plans, floorplan, 14 March 1874 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 13 Fig. 91 Official plans, perspective of the Church, 14 March 1874 Gent, C.B.U. Gent, afd. Handschriften en kostbare werken, HS. 3682, 15 Fig. 92 Mural painting, atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, s.d. Leuven, KADOC, Archief Atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, 513 Fig. 93 Alternative Floor plan, s.d. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw Fig. 94 Alternative east façade, s.d. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw Fig. 95 Draft of the design of the windows, s.d. Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, deel IV. Beheer kerkelijke goederen en eredienst, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2, c. bouw Fig. 96 Mural painting, atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, s.d. Leuven, KADOC, Archief Atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, 513
Fig. 97 View from the ship towards the choir, 1908 Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie,Photos Fig. 98 Interior of St Joseph church during mass, first half of 20th century Leuven, KADOC, Archief Atelier Bressers-Blanchaert, 513, KFB4282 Fig. 99 Furniture layout comparison schemes, current and original © Jelena Perusinovic & Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 100 Building phases schemes: ground floor, cross and longitudinal section, all four façades © Jelena Perusinovic & Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 101 View towards the north façade of the church, 27 February 2016 ©Evy Bouwen Fig. 102 View towards the east façade of the church, 27 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 103 View towards the front façade of the church, 27 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 104 View towards the choir, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 105 View towards the organ, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 106 The crypt underneath the church, 27 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 107 The mansard roof from the tower, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 108 Head Tabernacle, made by Mathias Zens, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 109 Flag of red velvet with religious scene, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 110 One of the four identical offertory boxes made by Zens, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 111 Choir stalls made by Mathias Zens in 1909, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 112 Statue of St Joseph on a canopy, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 113 Confessional box made by Mathias Zens in 1909, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 114 Organ, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 115 Communion rails, donated by Paul Madou in 1919, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 116 Pulpit made in 1908 by Mathias Zens, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 117 Arbor Vitae, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 118 Serpent, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 119 Mural painting pattern, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 120 Way of the Cross, Act of Love, painted by M. Coppejans, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 121 Jesus is taken from the Cross by Mary, Joseph and Mary Magdalene, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 122 Window on the right side of the east façade, representing the tree of Jesse, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 123 Choir stall, detail, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 124 The interior of Saint Joseph church, Ghent, 17 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 125 Exterior view of church of Our Lady in Deinze Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Decanale kerk van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw. In Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/38013 , accessed 26 May 2016 Fig. 126 Interior view of church of Our Lady in Deinze Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Decanale kerk van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw. In Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/38013 , accessed 26 May 2016 Fig. 127 Exterior view from church of Our Lady from Pamele in Oudenaarde Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed 2016: Parochiekerk OnzeLieve-Vrouw van Pamele. In Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/27291 , accessed 26 May 2016 Fig. 128 View from the outside of the All Saints church, 11 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 129 The interior space of the All Saints church, 11 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 130 The interior space of the All Saints church All Saints church, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_ Saints,_Margaret_Street , accessed 24 May 2016
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Fig. 131 Orthophoto of the Holy Family altar © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 149 Restoration mortar, section, south patio, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 132 Photogrammetry results of the west façade show limitations of the method © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 150 Restoration mortar, south patio, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 133 3D scan of the crypt processed in Autocad ReCap © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 151 Restoration mortar, east facade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 134 Photogrammetry process of the Holy Family altar © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 152 Red riga wood, used for the ceilings of the church, 27 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 135 Roof structure extracted from the point cloud © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 136 Chandelier detail, view from the organ to the choir, 18 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 137 Section of kareelsteen, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 138 Mouluresteen used for the construction of rounded arcades, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 139 Proposal for painted brick pattern by Bressers Gent, Archief van de Sint-Jozefparochie, Deel 1: Archief van de kerkfabriek, B. Onroerende eigendommen, Doos 2 Fig. 140 Mouluresteen of outside window frame, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 141 Section of the Soignies Bluestone, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 142 Soignies Bluestone used for the plinth and portals at the church entrances, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 143 Tournai Bluestone used for the construction of the column plinth, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 144 Tournai limestone used for the construction of the outside plinth , 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 145 Tournai limestone used for the construction of the indoor plinth. The overall surface is finished with a cemented layer. Here in next to the bluestone base of the pilaster in the side elevation, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 146 Slates used for the roof, 17 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 147 Hair mortar used to plaster the walls, later to be covered with mural paintings, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 148 Hair mortar, damage pattern, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
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Fig. 153 Red riga wood, quadrically sawn for roof construction, 16 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 154 Oak wood door with iron ornamental elements of the main entrance, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 155 Iron railing of the west façade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 156 Iron wall anchor used for the attachment roof-wall of the annexes, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 157 Stained glass windows seen from the outside, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 158 Stained glass windows seen from the inside, 17 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 159 Aesthetic incompatibility of rebuilt zones affect the overall impression of the church, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 160 Rebuilt part of the buttress in pressed bricks, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 161 Detail of the gable of south façade, 27 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 162 Detail of the gable of east façade, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 163 Detail of the gable of the south annex, 27 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 164 Fragment of west façades and deposition of algae on the masonry, 27 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 165 Heavy degradation of brickwork, north patio to the church, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 166 Deposition of algae on the north façade, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 167 Deposition of algae on the plinth of east façade, 2 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 183 Implication of the outside crack in the interior of the church, 29 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 168 Growth of lichens, yellow and white colour, on the south façade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 184 Vertical cracks in the masonry of the annexes, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 169 Big colony of lichens growing on blue stone plinth of the south façade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 185 Vertical cracks under the window sill, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 170 Growth of mosses in the joints of blue stones, situated in the niche of the front façade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 171 Growth of mosses in the joints of blue stone masonry of the plinth, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 172 Small plants growing in between bricks of the south-west façade, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 173 Plants of considerable size growing on the masonry of the north patio, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 174 Ivy climbing up along the south façade of the church, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 175 Traces of roots remaining after removing ivy, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 176 Mason bee inhabiting the holes made in masonry joints, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/465981892664752983/, accessed May 21 2016 Fig. 177 Mason bee holes in the masonry of the buttress on the south side of the church, 4 May 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 178 Lower parts of the building, here east façade, show most obvious black crust, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 179 Black crust pattern on the blue stone plinth, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 180 Black crust pattern at the height of the entrance portal, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 181 Locally the crust gets very sizable and distinct to such extent it might cause damage to the stone, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 182 Crack in the corner of the west facade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 186 Diagonal crack in the masonry of the annexes, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 187 Delamination of Tournai limestone used in the Portals of the Cathedral of Tournai © copyright KIK-IRPA Brussels Fig. 188 Tournai stone used in the plinth of the church showing delamination pattern, 4 May 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 189 Tournai stone used in the plinth of the church showing delamination pattern, 4 May 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 190 Degradation of masonry under the window sill on south façades, 4 May 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 191 Degradation of masonry under the cornice of north façades, 4 May 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 192 Degradation of masonry on the north façade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 193 Shining layer and peeling of the mural paintings due to use of unsuitable products, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 194 Damage to the mural paintings due to use of Solarine, 27 April 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 195 Washed of paint near the west façade, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 196 Salt efflorescence is pushing out paint and plaster layer, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 197 Taking a sample with Prof Hilde De Clercq, 4 May 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 198 Taking a sample with Prof Hilde De Clercq, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 199 Complete zone of washed away paint in the transept, 16 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen
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Fig. 200 Crack visible in masonry and according plaster, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 217 Diagram of spatial integration of urban assets © Jelena Perusinovic
Fig. 201 Previous consolidation of the cracks, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 218 Diagram displays main elements that support integration of Rabot with other parts of the city © Jelena Perusinovic
Fig. 202 Severe crack in south entrance hall to the sacristy and church, 4 May 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 219 Former beluiken, colourfully painted and adapted to personal tastes, 26 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 203 Star-shaped crack visible in the crypt, 16 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 220 Urban garden Tondelier, soon replaced by the housing project with the addition of an alternative urban garden, 26 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 204 Local prolapse of floor in the choir, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 205 Damage of the cement floor tiles due to mechanical load, 22 March 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 206 Unsuitable repared part of the floor, 16 February 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 207 Rectified image used as a tool to map damages of the interior, 2 June 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 208 Former beluiken, a specific urban typology present in Rabot, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 209 The Brugse vaart as an almost natural border of Rabot, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 210 The park and playground in the Gebroeders de Smetstraat as a natural asset, 26 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 211 St Joseph church always present in the urban landscape, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 221 Panorama in front of the main entrance of the church with stakeholders, Open day, 4 May2016 © Evy Bouwen Fig. 222 Proposed scenario for the church: Community centre © Evy Bouwen Fig. 223 < Proposed scenario for the church: Scientific and cultural centre © Evy Bouwen Fig. 224 Proposed scenario for the church: Food, arts and crafts market © Evy Bouwen Fig. 225 Proposed scenario for the church: Museum and education centre © Evy Bouwen Fig. 226 Spider-web S1, Community centre © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 227 Spider-web S2, Scientific and cultural centre © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 228 Spider-web S3, Food, arts and craft market © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 212 The Wondelgemstraat, 26 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 229 Spider-web S4, Museum and educational centre © Lore Van Meerbeek
Fig. 213 Colourful food shop in the Wondelgemstraat, 26 January 2016 © Evy Bouwen
Fig. 230 View towards the west facade of the church, 4 May 2016 © Camilla Ferri
Fig. 214 Industrial bridge at the Verbindingskanaal, in the prolongation of the Wondelgemstraat, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 215 Tondelier, an urban garden with a positive social impact, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 216 Scheme showing cultural, mobility, architectural and landscape qualities of Rabot and adjacent areas © Jelena Perusinovic
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Fig. 231 Choir of the church, 16 January 2016 © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 232 Radial street pattern opens the view towards the church, 26 January 2016 © Lore Van Meerbeek Fig. 233 Value assessment schemes: ground floortowards the church, 26 January 2016 © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 234 Value assessment schemes: cross section, east and west façades © Jelena Perusinovic
Fig. 235 Value assessment schemes: longitudinal section, north and south façades © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 236 Scheme showing intervention zones for the reuse project © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 237 Zoning of the proposal: intervention space (blue), symbolic space (beige), experience space (yellow) and facilities (green) © Jelena Perusinovic Fig. 238 Main principles of conceptual proposal © Evy Bouwen Fig. 239 Conceptual plans for the proposal, floor plans, longitudinal and cross section © Evy Bouwen Fig. 240 Implementation phases 1-4 © Jelena Perusinovic
13 List of tables Table 1 Statistical overview (in numbers) of Rabot within the context of Ghent © Jelena Perusinovic Table 2 Overview of urban cultural assets of Rabot © Jelena Perusinovic Table 3 SWOT analysis of the Saint Joseph church © Lore Van Meerbeek Table 4 SWOT analysis of the Community centre scenario © Lore Van Meerbeek Table 5 SWOT analysis of the Scientific and cultural centre scenario © Lore Van Meerbeek Table 6 SWOT analysis of the Food, arts and crafts market scenario © Lore Van Meerbeek Table 7 SWOT analysis of the Museum and education centre scenario © Lore Van Meerbeek Table 8 MCA adapted for the Saint Joseph church © Lore Van Meerbeek Table 9 Nara grid elaborated for St Joseph church © Lore Van Meerbeek Table 10 Four categories defining the value assessment © Lore Van Meerbeek
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