In Belgium, the typology of the heritage masonry terraced townhouses, built between 1800 and 1918, is studied. Three Archetypes were defined from the middle-class townhouse, the private mansions, and the modest houses. These buildings reflect the colossal growth of cities and the rise of the bourgeois society during the industrialisation period experienced in historical cities in Belgium and other major European cities. The Archetypes defined show the evolving social landscape of this bourgeois society. They were shaped by the desires for individuality and social status, leading to distinct architectural forms, especially in their facades, which became key to personal expression and were thus highly ornamented. Other common features among all the typologies include a vertical orientation and a clear hierarchy of spaces, arranged as an enfilade perpendicular to the street.
In Belgium, the two neighbourhoods of Sint Michielsplein and Vlaanderenstraat in the city of Ghent were selected for the definition of the Archetype and the Case Studies.
The city of Ghent has a complex development history that dates back to the Middle Ages. Being already one of the largest and most important cities of Western Europe around 1300, a great expansion of the city came together with the Industrial Revolution and continued in the following centuries. The enormous population growth during the Industrial Revolution necessitated the construction of additional housing, catering both to the emerging bourgeoisie and the working class. One strategy to address this demand was the concept of tabula rasa, whereby new neighbourhoods were developed along newly constructed traffic arteries that cut through existing urban fabric. This approach resulted, on the one hand, in highly uniform facade designs, but on the other hand, in building blocks that often took on remarkably irregular shapes. The two selected neighbourhoods exemplify the different archetypes of the city and present challenges that are shared by similar districts in other European cities.
Sint Michielsplein – or the St. Michael’s Church Square- lies in the Medieval historic centre of the city. The area has developed historically and organically, with buildings from various periods and a mixture of functions and building types that intersect and blend together. The neighbourhood is dominated by the Gothic Sint-Michielskerk, whose construction began in 1440. The masonry heritage terraced townhouses date from the first half of the 19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century. Due to the organic growth of this site, some of these 19th-century townhouses have an older core or are renovated older houses. The only building that diverges from this historical context is a 20th-century underground parking garage with an aboveground office building.
The Vlaanderenstraat bears witness to the 19th-century urban planning vision. It was drawn in 1883 straight through an existing neighbourhood. This intentionally designed shopping street connected the former South Station with the historic city centre and its monuments. The current homes in the Vlaanderenstraat were erected following this new urban development and are representative of a specific moment when the city of Ghent experienced a significant growth of the built area. Almost all the buildings on this street belong to the archetype of the middle-class townhouse, with commercial spaces on the ground floor and residences above and a very uniform, yet individual, façade expression.
Archetype: Middle-class townhouse The middle-class townhouse is most prevalent in all Belgian historical cities and certainly in Ghent. Case study: MEERS, EYCK, HERT, MARTENS2, CITADEL, KONING, KEIZER, KUIPER, BREDERODE, SLUIS, DENDER, MUINK2, BREDERODE2