Comrades, last week the current wife and I headed to Belgium to a wedding, it was hot. But we loved every bit of it! After the weekend and before heading back to the island of Brexit, we headed to Lille for a couple of days. There we found some incredible architecture to photograph. You know I’m a sucker for Modernist architecture (1917 - 1965) so I was like a kid in a candy store. Enjoy!:
Residence du Beffroi, Lille.
Built in 1965, it’s the work of architect Jean Willerval.
The estate looks a little bit tired and neglected, I read online there were plans from the council to renovate the public areas of this 258 apartment block.
Tiles and details on the main facade of the block.
Hotel de Ville, Lille
Lille City Hall was built between 1924 and 1932 in an Art Deco style but inspired by Flemish Renaissance.
In 1925, a major of Lille decided to add a belfry to the design of the new Town Hall. This became the first reinforced concrete building over 100m high in France. I love the Art Deco details!
If you ask nicely at the front desk of the Town Hall, you’ll be able to visit this magnificent building.
La Piscine Museum, Roubaix.
Also known as the museum of art and industries Andre Diligent, the museum sits in the grounds of the old communal swimming pool of Roubaix, a working class neighbourhood (now a city) a few Km north of Lille.
The swimming pool was commissioned by a socialist major who asked architect Albert Baert to build the most beautiful pool for the people of Roubaix.
The pool opened in 1932 and remained operational until 1985. It remained abandoned until the year 2000 when it opened as a museum.
The current museum was renovated joining the pool with the grounds of an existing textile factory. It houses an impressive collection of art from local artists, a restaurant and a temporary exhibition gallery.
The museum is magnificent but the exhibitions and the artwork displayed here make it even more special!
Villa Cavrois, Croix.
Villa Cavrois is a modernist mansion built and designed in 1932 by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for a textile industrialist from Roubaix.
The house was abandoned in 1985 after Madame Cavrois passed away. the property decayed and became derelict until 2001 when the French Ministry of Culture purchased the house.
Restoration started in 2004 and the house opened its doors to the public in June 2015.
A lot of work and care has been put to document and restore the house to its former glory. A lot of the materials, textiles, furniture and details have been respected to keep the original early 20th century look.
There are so many details to the house that perhaps it needs its own story. Perhaps in the future I can make a feature about it.
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