The Vooruit building is situated on two different levels; there is a 12-metre difference between the façade on the Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat and the rear wing overlooking the Muinkschelde. This is also the secret to Vooruit’s biggest asset: it has a concert hall (the Concertzaal )
neatly tucked away under a theatre hall (the Theaterzaal)
Its eclectic style also makes for a fascinating visit. Ferdinand Dierkens, the architect, mixed several styles and made use of the newest techniques of the time. In a way, this was the starting point for the eclecticism of Vooruit Arts Centre, which has made it renowned nationally and internationally.
In the middle of the 19th century, Ghent was the most important trade city of Flanders. With the cooperatives, the socialist movement established a network of socio-economic centres. One of these cooperatives was the ‘Samenwerkende Maatschappij Vooruit’ or Vooruit Cooperative. The growth of the movement also meant that new buildings had to be constructed. In 1910 the Vooruit Cooperative bought a plot on the Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat. (More Vooruit before 1982)
On the 1st of April 1982, Erik Temmerman signed a long-term tenancy agreement for a period of 27 years with the Vooruit Cooperative. The idea was to fix up the Concertzaal and to organize parties there, which would provide the money to work out a cultural programme. The young guns had two goals: one, the preservation of the building, and two, to give the building a new impulse thanks to cultural events. (More Vooruit in the 80s)
We have to admit that Vooruit softened around the edges in the 90s. Government policy (subsidies), media (attention) and the public (ever-growing) were all in our favour. Vooruit was even awarded a European prize for the preservation of architectural heritage. The anarchy of the 80s made way for increased professionalism, as much in the artistic choices, marketing and business management as in dealing with the majestic building itself. In that sense, the growth of the Arts Centre ran parallel to improvements in the building. It was an inseparable marriage. (More Vooruit in the 90s)
In 2000, a fully restored Vooruit was awarded the Flemish Monument of the year Prize. However, it is still not easy to operate a progressive arts centre with 2000 activities and 275 000 visitors per year in a restored monument dating from 1913. The house was therefore bestowed the difficult task of combining the maintenance and renovation of the building with new needs in terms of security and environment, stage technical infrastructure, public comfort, ICT and new media. (More Vooruit in the 21st century)
