The Van Hove Prize has been awarded annually since 1982 by the Professional Union of Architects (UPA-BUA) and recognises final-year projects by architecture students from schools across Belgium. In October 2020, a jury comprising, among others, Sven Grooten (B architects) and Pierre Hebbelinck selected three winners from the 59 entries.

The top prize, worth €2,500, went to Ludwig Voz from the Faculty of Architecture at ULiège. His project, Re-use, Re-insert, Re-generate: Centre for Industrial Culture in Herstal, which forms part of a group project with Alexandre Houthoofdt, builds on the masterplan by Studio Secchi Viganò, which aims to breathe new life into the abandoned industrial site of the Belgian electromechanical manufacturer ACEC (Ateliers de Constructions Électriques de Charleroi) near Liège. That masterplan envisages a centrally located conference centre with offices and a media library. The graduating Master’s students, however, propose transforming the old factory halls into a ‘centre for industrial culture’: an exhibition space that allows large objects of industrial heritage value to be displayed to the public. Their compelling architectural design demonstrates a thorough understanding of the site, an analysis of its needs, and the potential for engaging with industrial heritage.