Electrical substation

Electricity began its inexorable rise in the early 1930s. The Ghent Electricity Department built dozens of electrical cabinets and substations. This one was designed by the architect Jan-Albert De Bondt (1888-1969) in 1932, inspired by the expressionist brick architecture of the Amsterdam School. The substation is the first modernist building in the city’s historic centre, with an appearance to suit the pioneering image of electricity. At the time, the building consisted of the substation itself, a payment department, offices and a foreman’s house. The original design also featured another floor for radio broadcasting.

Substations are used to transform energy to a lower voltage, making it suitable for an underlying network.

Industriemuseum