Mons - Palais des Congrès

The Centre de Congrès in Mons is conceived by Art & Build as an iconic but unpretentious architectural symbol, calling upon a noble, simple and timeless architectural language. The role of the building as a mixed facility is expressed through the creation of a large forecourt which links inner and outer public spaces. The Forum, generously left open to the outside through large glazed panels, is the living heart of the Congress Centre. Stretching up through three levels, the fluidity of movement is manifested and enables an intuitive reading of the main functions: large auditoria to the ground floor, commissioning and administrative rooms on the first floor, and a panoramic restaurant on the second floor beneath the cantilevered roof. Cladding choices are delicately balanced between material, immaterial, functional and poetic, from locally quarried stone to glass, and includes a touch of Corten steel to add a more visceral tone to the curved facades of the auditoria.