The town hall in the Brussels borough of Vorst, built in art deco style in 1938, has reopened. The very thorough renovation work took 10 years.
During the works the municipality and architects from Origin received support from the heritage services of urban.brussels for the parts of the building that are listed. The total cost of the works is around 34 million euros.
A design by Jean-Baptiste Dewin
Architect Jean-Baptiste Dewin built Vorst town hall in the Art Deco style between 1925 and 1938 during the industrial boom after World War I.
The building was exceptionally modern in its day. The choice of local materials and the iconography of statues and stained-glass windows depicting Vorst's history make it an architectural gem. The first stone was laid in May 1935 and 3 years later the new town hall was inaugurated.
The project is the highlight of Dewin's career. He was a local man, who in addition to many private buildings, also designed medical buildings, including the St Peter’s Hospital in Brussels.