The façade of De Vooruit is in scaffolding and two of its four halls are closed for renovation. The works are part of a multi-year plan to fully restore De Vooruit between 2020 and 2035. Matthias Belpaire, infrastructure and monument coordinator, explains the restoration and accompanying renovation. This work is always done in conjunction with the day-to-day operations of art institution VIERNULVIER.
Franky Devos, general coordinator, dives into the history and talks about how it lives on in the operation and program of VIERNULVIER. His story starts with the workers' assembly halls that emerged worldwide at the end of the 19th century as meeting places for the working class. In Ghent, the Feestlokaal van Vooruit was erected for the 1913 World's Fair, as a meeting place of the socialist movement.
The building was recognized as a monument in 1983. It currently houses VIERNULVIER which is working with seven other similar halls worldwide and Amsab, the Institute of Social History, to have De Vooruit recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
