Time, so people say, is a loop, an eternal cycle. But if it were a square, it would undoubtedly be the Carré Janson, a group of buildings in Tournai that has been reinventing itself over the centuries. Today, the Carré transformation project led by the TANK architecture office is about to open its doors. It invites us to see how this quadrilateral complex has stood the test of time.

Tournai has long been an influential and renowned town. Its rich architectural heritage still bears witness to its past glory. In particular, there is a group of old buildings at the foot of the cathedral, whose parallelepiped layout encloses a central courtyard. It consists of the former Hôtel des Prêtres (18th century), the archive building (1920) and a building from the 1950s. In 2017, the Cellule Archi launched a competition to renovate the Carré Janson: its aim is to revitalise the historic town centre and introduce a programme that is both public and cultural.