Théâtre de Liège - architect Pierre Hebbelinck

Since 2013, the city of Liège has had a contemporary theater that is partly housed in the building of the Société Libre d'Emulation, an association that has been active since the 18th century and is committed to the promotion of knowledge and culture.The place has a turbulent history. In 1914, 17 civilians were shot there and the building was reduced to ashes. It was rebuilt in 1939 by architect Koenig in a neoclassical style and with a reinforced concrete structure and a free plan.

In 2003, the architecture studio Pierre Hebbelinck and Pierre de Wit were commissioned for a feasibility study, followed by the construction phase in 2011. The starting points were: Tangible and intangible heritage, a memorial site, a determining urban context and the creation of a contemporary theater in a building that had a different function.

The requested program is large. The surface area has doubled compared to the available space. The architectural firm strives to optimize space, first within the building itself and then in the urban space. The building from 1939 houses the main hall, the reception, the circulation areas, the restaurant and the administrative areas. The small hall, the artists' rooms, the cafeteria and a number of technical, storage and production areas are housed in new volumes on the Place du XX août and in a nearby street.

The new function of the location, which was transformed into a theater, required an accurate acoustic study. The work on the glass facade of the small hall resulted in a technical and architectural solution. The small hall is both a rehearsal room and a concert hall. The collaboration between architects and acousticians has resulted in a sloping facade, in which several glass sets with an airspace of varying thickness are combined to influence the entire sound spectrum.

A work of art by Patrick Corillon is included in the Théâtre de Liège. A long collaboration between the artist and the architectural firm resulted in the insertion of a selection of words and fragments of texts spread throughout the building.