Ghent market hall causes controversy

The new market hall in Ghent, which looks like an uplifted barn and a twenty first century cloth hall, was built to resemble exactly that. Designed by architects Robbrecht & Daem and Marie-José Van Hee, this new edifice gracing the Emile Braun square was built to become a new landmark in the city; a place between The belfry, the Sint-Niklaas Church and the town hall where Ghent locals can meet and attend events. At 40 metres high and 15 metres wide, it has two high-pitched roofs and one concrete bell tower which will house the legendary bell Klokke Roeland. On the ground level there is a cycle stand, sanitary and artistic spaces while a semi subterranean grand café faces onto a lower level park. “A treasure shrine on long legs” and “an abstract barn”,  architect Paul Robbrecht calls his market hall.  Sadly this does not echo the sentiment of local Ghent residents and protest groups with dramatic names like ‘Ghent bleit’ Ghent cries and ‘Ghent rouwt’ Ghent mourns and Facebook groups that  say the “Ghent town hall is a monster” were formed. Similarly political parties and more specifically the N-VA have called it demonic. “It’s amazing how architecture can give cause to such serious emotions. That could only be a good sign,” Flanders’ first master architect Bob Van Reeth reacts laconically. He himself refers to the building as “excellent architecture”. Hilde Heynen, professor in architectural theory at the university, KU Leuven, is an absolute fan. She believes good architecture should be controversial and feels that’s exactly what the market hall does. Says Heynen: “The scale of the building communicates with its surroundings: the historical centre with its towers. It respects the historical context, but at the same time it incorporates a new and radically 21st century element.” Architectural critic and lecturer Marc Dubois even refers to it as “a historical correction” which serves to fill “the hole” that has existed on the Emile Braun Square since the sixties and give back meaning to the site. The well-respected German architectural journal Bauwelt has lauded the project and during the Biennale in Venice top architect David Chipperfield chose it as one of his favourites. But the people of Ghent think otherwise and say it is too ugly, too expensive and too big. Looking at its size, on could raise such a question, but according to Van Reeth it is perfectly in perspective with the other historical buildings in the inner city. “Competings with the Sint-Baafs Cathedral and the Belfry it obviously had to be so big,” he argues.