Fifty years after its creation, the Maison de la Culture in Tournai needed to update its facilities and organisation. This task was entrusted to the Brussels-based firm a practice, which recognised the undeniable value of the building and proposed a renovation that was both discreet and obvious.

The Maison de la Culture in Tournai (1971-1980) is a pioneering work in many respects. The first of its kind in Belgium, it was designed by architect Simone Guillissen-Hoa, known as one of the first women to have built in French-speaking Belgium. The building, located in the centre of the former Plaine des Manœuvres, houses two performance halls and the municipal library. While its architecture reflects a less radical post-war modernism in its approach and formal expression, its highly articulated façade is the result of a great deal of work on the layout. In order to accommodate several functions, Guillissen-Hoa worked with an irregular grid defined by ‘spatial cells’ of various sizes and uses. True to the promise of democratising culture, a founding value of the project, the plan is designed to be open and flexible, allowing for future adaptation and development.