Passage Lemonnier

The Passage Lemonnier is a covered passage that connects the Vinâve d'Île with the Rue de l'Université and is crossed in the middle by the Rue Lulay des Fèbvres.

The Passage Lemonnier, built between 1836 and 1838 by the architects Louis-Désiré Lemonnier and Henri-Victor Beaulieu, is the oldest covered trading passage in Belgium and one of the oldest in Europe.

The Passage was completed eight years earlier than the Galeries royales Saint-Hubert by architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar, which was inaugurated in Brussels in 1847. The Passage Lemonnier was a major novelty in Belgium at that time and a quite exceptional building for Liège, allowing it to compete with other important cities. His influence went beyond the borders, which was reflected in the number of traders of foreign origin who settled here.

Passage Lemonnier became an attraction and the crowds forced the owners to hire several security guards to ensure safety. But the most interesting thing is the birth of the first 'Carré' in Liège, where the public can take a walk on the Vinâve d'Île, the Rue Cathédrale, the Rue de l'Université and the Rue Pont d'Île (a square) with the Passage Lemonnier in the middle.

In 1914, the shop windows were expanded and the thresholds of the shop windows on the Rue Vinâve side were lowered. In the years that followed, the Lemonnier Passage fell into an advanced state of disrepair. The manager of the passage, Louis Dabin, contacted a good friend, the promising young architect Henri Snyers (Liège, 1901-1980), and entrusted him with the complete renovation of the whole. Snyers is a member of the architectural group L'Équerre, and undoubtedly one of the most interesting Belgian architectural firms of the 20th century.

The architectural attitude is directly inspired by contemporary references: the modern quarters of Frugès that Le Corbusier built in Pessac-Bordeaux (1926-1927) and the Parisian ensemble rue Robert Mallet-Stevens (1926-1927). The two men plan to build “the first large modern complex in Liège” on the site of the passage.

In 1939, the renovation was completed with the artistic contribution of sculptor Madeleine Schoofs for the sculptures of the dome. Ultimately, only the first two levels will be renovated and the glass roofs replaced.

The complexity of the new installed glass cladding, a skillful installation of semi-crystal glass blocks from Val Saint-Lambert with thin connections, contrasts with the apparent simplicity of the overall design. Due to the new lighting, the glass roof, especially at the height of the dome, is also clearly visible in the evening.