01 November 2011

Les Brigittines, Brussels

Les Brigittines contemporary art centre
Nowadays, the Association of the Brigittines develops the artistic ideas for the chapel. The chapel is a Contemporary Arts Center for dance, theatre, music, performance and plastic arts.
   

    This contemporary art centre it's developed in and old chapel and a new building with the same scale and proportions than the chapel.The chapel was built in 1667 according to plans of the architect Léon Van Heil. It had different uses: warehouse for books, a military pharmacy, an arsenal or house of reception for poor men. Under Napoleon's reign, the chapel was sold to a private individual who used it as warehouse for wood and barrels of beer. In 1839, a new owner installed a slaughterhouse and a store of meat there. The first floor was used as butcher's shop. It later became an exhibition hall and a mail sorting office. In 1920 the building was in decay and it was therefor put on sale. 2 years later, the City of Brussels decided to acquire and restore it. The Brigittines chapel was classified for its facade in 1936, before being classified for the whole building in 1953.In 2007, the Italian architect Andrea Bruno made a second chapel, offering the center of Contemporary Art of the City of Brussels all the necessary conveniences to welcome spectators and artists. Besides, 6 artists' workshops, a housing and a garden were built.


More information: www. brussels.be and www.brigittines.be