Le Grand-Hornu: social utopia in the Borinage

In 1810, Henri De Gorge turned the coal mine of le Grand-Hornu in the Borinage upside down. From 1816, architect Bruno Renard was commissioned by the Gorge to build an industrial complex around an oval-shaped courtyard. Nearby, 450 workers' homes, a school and a library were also built. The Gorge dreamed of the ideal city for its workers. The Gorge's utopian mine remained in operation for nearly a century and a half, but coal production ceased in 1954.

Today, the former coal mine has been rebuilt from head to toe. Only the engine room located in the courtyard was preserved as a ruin. Since 2002, le Grand-Hornu has housed the MAC, the Musée des Arts Contemporains. The coal mine, together with three other Walloon mining sites, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2012. During the opening hours of the museum you can visit the outdoor areas (free of charge).

Industriecultuur