Cloth Hall

In replacement of the old Lakenhal on the Hoogpoort opposite the town hall, construction of a new Lakenhal began in 1425, leaning against the east side of the Belfort. A trading building in Brabantine Gothic style designed by Simon Van Assche. In 1445, the work was halted due to lack of funds; only seven bays of the eleven-bay long building had been completed. The wooden sheathing that closed off the seventh bay was definitively replaced by a brick wall in 1654. In 1890, restoration work began, based on the preserved old plans, under the direction of architects A. Van Assche, J. De Waele, and Ch. Van Rysselberghe. The double staircase on the south façade, which had been removed in 1716, was restored in 1892. This staircase is topped with a wrought iron Gothic balustrade, part of which is original (15th century). In 1903, four bays were added to the north side, and the original 15th-century design was completed. Since 1899, the long east façade had been dismantled due to the sloping of Sint-Jansen de Regnessestraat; in 1903, the old jailer's house next to the city prison on the west façade was demolished, allowing the Lakenhal and Belfort along with the associated city prison to stand completely free. When the cloth trade declined during the 17th century, the hall was assigned by the Archdukes in 1613 as a meeting place for the fencing guild St. Michael, a function it has retained up to the present; furthermore, it serves as a restaurant and a tourism service.

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