Two private residences, the beginning of an idyll.
From the 17th century onwards, the former medieval draper's quarter was gradually transformed into a luxurious neighbourhood of hôtels particuliers (private residences). Keen to be close to power – symbolised by the Governor's Palace (Palace of Justice) and the Bishop's Palace – the great names of the clergy and aristocracy all built residences here.
Charles-Procope de Meldeman de Bouré enlarged the first bourgeois house (the Hinslin residence) on the site now occupied by the new archaeological museum. This became a private residence with a typical
U-shaped floor plan, opening onto a garden at the rear and preceded by a courtyard on the street side. (1-2-8)
Next door, the Baroness d'Harscamp bought the former refuge of Villers Abbey and extended it into a vast residence, which in turn became part of the Groesbeeck residence from 1751, named after its new owner. (2-3-5)
The two neighbouring residences each had a different destiny for almost two centuries before being united in the Les Bateliers Centre.
One residence disappears, another emerges.
Although the Groesbeeck residence was returned to its heirs the marquises de Croix after the French Revolution, they never lived there and the building was occasionally rented out to one family or another. The residence was maintained by the servants, preserved from the change brought by 19th century technological developments as a result.
The story behind the former Meldeman de Bouré residence is somewhat different. In 1837, it was acquired by Bishop of Namur Monseigneur Nicolas-Joseph Dehesselle, who turned it into a Carmelite convent. (9) The buildings underwent major alterations, with a chapel built in the front courtyard, a series of arches barring the rear courtyard to form a cloister, and the north wing extended and joined to a new building at the eastern end of the grounds. The large bay windows – once a highly prized feature – were removed and replaced by small openings, reflecting the disconnection from the world practised by the Discalced Carmelites. (4-6) The former main building of the Meldeman de Bouré residence is crowned with two bell towers and houses the nuns' choir on the ground floor, which opens onto the chapel through a heavy, spiked metal gate. (7) The convent ceased operations in 1906.
2) The Meldeman de Bouré residence (in blue) and the first Groesbeeck residence (in red) in the early 18th century.
3) The Meldeman de Bouré residence (right) and the first Groesbeeck residence (left) in the early 18th century.
4) Plan of the Carmelite convent according to the memories of a sister. In blue, the site of the former Meldeman de Bouré residence and in green, the Carmelite buildings, including the chapel on the façade.
5) Original façade of the second Groesbeeck residence in the early 20th century.
6) The arches in the rear courtyard delimiting the cloister.
7) The Carmelite convent as seen from the citadel, with its 2 parallel wings and main building topped by 2 bell towers.
8) Remains of the south wing (destroyed) of the former Meldeman de Bouré residence in the 20th century.
9) The Carmelite coat of arms (motto: I am filled with jealous zeal for the Lord God of hosts).
Time for culture and education!
After gaining listed status in 1935, the former Groesbeeck residence was stripped of its furniture and much of its decor, before being sold to the City of Namur, which decided to restore it and turn it into a museum of decorative arts. In 1937, the City launched a competition to recreate the French-inspired garden you can still enjoy today. (14) Other works were gradually made available or deposited with the City for the public to enjoy by a number of institutions (including the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the Brussels Art and History Museum, the Province of Namur, the Roi Baudouin Foundation, the Archaeological Society Foundation and the Art and History Foundation of the People of Namur).
The former Carmelite convent of Jesus, Mary and Joseph next door was moved to Jambes and taken over by the Saint-Jacques des Bateliers Boarding School. (10-15-17) The buildings then encompassed the former neighbouring residence of Baron de Doulingen and were enlarged considerably. They also saw major adaptations to make them suitable for a school. It was then that the main building of the former Meldeman de Bouré residence – which had been transformed into the Carmelite choir – was demolished. The chevet of the chapel was cleared and opened by a high bay in which was placed a stained-glass window made by Bruges artist Louis Grossé junior (1840-1929) in around 1908. (11)
Highly popular with the people of Namur, the Les Bateliers School left the premises in 1980, the buildings having become unsuitable. That same year, the City decided to buy the old school and its neo-classical chapel to use them for cultural purposes, while the building next door that housed the boarding school was sold to private investors.
In 1984, the City of Namur decided to make the former school available to the District House of Culture and the Namur Theatrical Centre. The former chapel was transformed into a 100-seat theatre called ‘Les Bateliers’. 1986 saw the launch of the ‘B'Ateliers’ creative workshops, named in homage to the site that housed them. (19)
For nearly 15 years between 1984 and 1997, the Les Bateliers chapel hosted theatre, dance, concerts and even video projections. It was here that Benoît Poelvoorde made his stage debut with The Rule of the Game followed by Registered Design by Bruno Belvaux a few years later. (16-18)
But none of these dazzling events prevented the buildings of this urban island from deteriorating. After a report from the fire brigade highlighted how unsafe the premises were, the City decided to close the site with a view to renovating it.
11) Approximate plan of the Les Bateliers School drawn by a former pupil: in blue, the areas of the former Meldeman de Bouré residence, in green the buildings of the former Carmelite convent and in red, the new buildings of the school.
12) The premises after the closure of the B'Ateliers.
13) The chapel transformed into a theatre.
14) Layout of the garden of the Decorative Arts Museum (former Groesbeeck residence) around 1937.
15) Life at the Saint-Jacques des Bateliers Boarding School.
16) B'Ateliers artistic activities for children.
17) The former chapel.
18) Benoît Poelvoorde performing in the former Bateliers chapel.
19) Poster for the B'Ateliers creative workshops.
A new shared destiny.
In 2004, the City made a plan to replace the old school with a brand new museum to house its archaeological collections. Adjoining the ‘Groesbeeck-de Croix Museum’ (now the Namur Decorative Arts Museum), the two institutions would together form the Les Bateliers Museum Centre, in homage to the site's past.
In 2010, all the old school buildings were demolished except the chapel. (27-29) A new two-storey building – designed by the architectural firm Pire et Goots – took the place of the school's boys' wing (partly on the site of the north wing of the former 18th-century Meldeman de Bouré residence), while a caretaker's lodge and offices replaced the old front buildings. A long glass gallery links the rooms of the new museum to the chapel. The gallery is a work of art created by Jean Glibert (1938-2024) – a house painter, as he defined himself – projecting a checkerboard pattern onto the gallery's white walls, resonating with bright orange painted stripes. (22-23)
In addition to the rooms for the main exhibition (31), the new museum includes an educational room, a room for preparing works for display, a documentation centre and storage areas.
The garden opens onto that of the House of Poetry and connects with that of the Rops Museum creating a veritable cultural island that also includes the House of Stories.
Between 2013 and 2016, the City undertook an extensive restoration of the former Groesbeeck residence, which has since been classified as a unique heritage site in Wallonia. (26) The roof structures, roofs, window frames, façades, walls and garden pavilions were restored, as were all the technical systems (electricity, air conditioning, heating, alarm and detection systems). The service courtyard is covered by a vast glass roof linking it to the Bateliers Chapel, while the stables and a new exhibition area – both of which can be used as a shop and restaurant – complete the layout. The former hay barn has been turned into an educational room that can be converted into an auditorium, while the old caretaker's lodge houses the museum's storerooms.
On the strength of these developments and the creation of a joint team for the two museums –which will also be responsible for managing all the municipal collections – the Museum Centre was granted category B status by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in 2023.
Archaeological discoveries
Between 2005 and 2011, archaeological research was carried out on the site and within the buildings themselves, prior to the redevelopment. The discovery of around twenty pits and silos, together with wooden structures, allowed the long history of this urban plot to be traced back to the High Roman Empire. (20-21-28)
From one museum to another
Founded by the Namur Archaeological Society, the Archaeological Museum has been housed in the Halle al'Chair for over 160 years. (24-25) 2019 saw the start of its transition to the Museum Centre. The investment made by the City of Namur to provide a new setting for the collections also made it possible to create a completely new museographic trail, allowing visitors to rediscover the objects in the light of new knowledge. (31)
21) Archaeological excavations.
22) Construction of the new Archaeological Museum on the foundations of the old school.
23) View of the glass roof and gardens on the Archaeological Museum side.
24) Old view of the Halle al'chair.
25) View of a room from the former Archaeological Museum in the Halle al'chair.
26) The two museums being restored.
27) The chapel being restored.
28) Archaeological excavations.
29) Rediscovery of the chapel's dome (1838) with its moulded ornaments.
30) Reconstruction work starts on the new Archaeological Museum.
31) Installation of works in the new Archaeological Museum at the Les Bateliers Centre.
