Tournai Cathedral forms the heart of the city.
Its imposing yet gracious silhouette can be seen from all the small streets in the city centre. Our project to revitalise the city centre highlights this magnificent presence by unifying and opening up all the streets and squares. A network of golden lines starts at the cathedral door and draws a “sensitive” web on the ground made up of lines and golden dots that and pointing out each notable element in the urban fabric: historical buildings, doorways, street entrances, squares… All these dots are commentated and directly linked to the Cathedral.
On Place Paul-Emile Janson in front of the cathedral, we open up the Quadrilatère by demolishing the archives building, which is a modern construction with no historical value. This opens up the garden of the Hôtel des Anciens Prêtres to the public area.
We propose to build a belvedere tower here, a 4-star hotel that will be a meeting place that offers an exceptional view onto the five steeples.
This belvedere tower is made up of a very fine, high-quality concrete fibre mesh. We are seeking a certain immateriality: the strips vibrate in the light and a discreet dialogue is engaged with the columned façades, pilasters, and latticework of the steeples.
This tower has a contemporary design, fits in with the historical landmarks (steeples, towers, belfry…) and displays the neighbourhood’s renewal.
It is custom designed in relation to the views present in the heart of the city; its mesh summit blends into the sky.
It respects the existing monument and opens the city centre to a contemporary dimension, proposing a new vision of its future in line with the “great Cathedral centres” of Europe.