VIERNULVIER CLOSES TWO HALLS IN DE VOORUIT FOR RESTORATION AND FINDS SHELTER IN NEARBY HALLS
From August 2024 to December 2025, De Vooruit will be under construction again. After completing the most urgent interventions (repair southern tower façade, stability problems rear façade, etc.) during the COVID period, the front part of the building - on the Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat side - will now be addressed.
In its 110-year history, the building has experienced periods of glory, interspersed with years of decay. It underwent numerous renovations. The next restoration phase begins on August 12. This is made possible thanks to the recently pledged support from the City of Ghent. Ghent is committed to optimizing cultural infrastructure and decided to join forces with the Flemish Community and VIERNULVIER to restore De Vooruit. This recognizes the value of the building and the work of VIERNULVIER for the people of Ghent.
"The Ballroom, Domzaal, music and dance studio, and the central staircase will be closed for 17 months. These halls will regain their original splendor, based on historical research. We will restore the original interior doors, exterior joinery, herringbone parquet, stairs in natural stone, stained glass, and many decorative elements. At the same time, the halls will be adapted to current needs. There will be new and fully accessible sanitary facilities, raised stair railings, LED lighting, and energy-efficient ventilation systems. A new theater technical hoisting installation with self-pulling trusses (hanging system for lights, speakers, and canvases) in the Domzaal will greatly contribute to the working comfort of artists and theater technicians."
Sustainability, audience comfort, safety, and accessibility are continuously considered during the restoration of De Vooruit. The highlight will be the brand-new elevator that will transport artists and the audience from the entrance area to the Ballroom and the Domzaal in one go, housed in a new standalone lift shaft.
Not only the Domzaal, Ballroom, music and dance studio will be closed. The spacious entrance area will also close, and the ticket counter will be temporarily relocated to the former 'snoepwinkel Temmerman' next to Music Mania. Moreover, the café will close for three weeks in August. From September 2, the audience attending the Theaterzaal will enter the building through the café.
To be clear, the two largest halls in De Vooruit, the Theaterzaal and the Concertzaal, will remain open.
They will even be used more intensively.
"For the rest of its program, VIERNULVIER will move to halls nearby. For theater, dance, and spoken word, we will make more use of the Minardschouwburg. Concerts scheduled in the Ballroom will move to the brand-new Club Wintercircus, operated by VIERNULVIER together with Democrazy. For the creation and development of new artistic work and for exceptional projects, VIERNULVIER will take up residence in a shop along the Kuiperskaai in Shopping Gent Zuid,"
This phase of the restoration costs €9 million. Half of this is financed by the Flemish Community (Agency for Real Estate Heritage and the Department of Culture, Youth, and Media). The City of Ghent recently decided to contribute €1,983,000. VIERNULVIER contributes €2.5 million from its own resources. In the fall, VIERNULVIER will start a crowdfunding campaign for the financing of the new elevator. We hope to motivate the people of Ghent and our audience to contribute to the renovation of 'their monument.'
It is heartening to see both the Flemish Community and the City of Ghent joining forces to restore a building that is very meaningful to many people. We thank them wholeheartedly for that.
"As the city of Ghent, we allocate €1,983,000 to realize these works. With a view to our candidacy as European Capital of Culture in 2030, we want our cultural infrastructure to be in top shape, and De Vooruit should not be missing. It is nice to see that the halls that were previously renovated, the Minard and the Wintercircus, now serve as a base during the works."
These works are part of the complete restoration of De Vooruit. In a next phase, from 2027, the Theaterzaal and the Concertzaal will be tackled. All works will be completed by 2035. VIERNULVIER plans the work in such a way that the entire building will be usable by 2030 in preparation for Ghent European Capital of Culture 2030.
