Julien Foucart & Magali Vangilbergen – Curators of the Museum of Fine Arts of Tournai
The Museum of Fine Arts of Tournai is the only museum ever designed as such by architect Victor Horta and is recognised as Exceptional Heritage of Wallonia (Belgium). Its highly original floor plan, shaped like a “turtle”, represents a fascinating example of the transition between Art Nouveau and the early modernism inspired by Art Deco.
Housing works by renowned artists such as Ensor, Fantin-Latour, Manet, Monet, Seurat, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van der Weyden, the museum’s collection is considered one of the most significant in Belgium. The Museum of Fine Arts of Tournai is regarded as one of the very first prototypes of the modern museum on an international scale.
Its monumental limestone façade features the famous vegetal scroll motifs that brought fame both to Horta and to the Art Nouveau movement he inspired. The interior’s dynamic layout and strong spatial clarity are equally remarkable, offering constantly renewed perspectives and granting the building a truly unique character.
Beyond the large entrance doors, the building’s glass roofs flood the interior with natural light. Two-thirds of the space is covered by a translucent vault with skylights that provide a diffuse, even illumination across all surfaces, while the curved ceilings eliminate shadows. The central atrium, devoted to sculpture, acts as the illuminated heart of the composition, which unfolds symmetrically into radiating galleries, all bathed in zenithal light.
Today, however, this diffuse overhead lighting unfortunately results in excessive brightness and heat, which pose challenges for the proper conservation of artworks.
In 2016, the architecture firm Xaveer De Geyter (XDGA), together with Barbara Van der Wee, a Belgian architect specialising in the restoration of Victor Horta’s buildings, were appointed to extend and restore the museum. This project represents an essential step in the modernisation of the institution and in the preservation of its heritage. The works are scheduled to begin in 2025.
