The renovation project of the Palais des Expositions in Charleroi, designed by architects AgwA in association with Jan de Vylder – Inge Vinck, commissioned by the City of Charleroi, received on Tuesday 12 May the prestigious European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Award, granted for the first time to a Belgian project. For this project, already awarded the “Extra Muros” Prize at the Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 in December 2025, bureau greisch carried out the structural engineering, building services engineering and EPB studies.
A guiding principle: reactivating this iconic place
The Charleroi exhibition hall, “Bisous m’chou”, built in the 1950s, has been completely reimagined to accommodate more contemporary activities and operations. From the outset, the architects intended to enhance the value of the existing building. New surrounding public spaces were created, the building was opened up towards the city, and circulation areas were redesigned through the creation of large interior volumes integrated with the construction of the new convention centre.
“It is awarded for its intelligent and precise transformation of an immense existing exhibition building, demonstrating how architecture can work with what is already there to unlock new spatial, social, and material possibilities. Rather than replacing, it reactivates the place embracing constraints, engaging with the building’s inherent qualities, and developing a bold yet resourceful approach that turns scarcity into opportunity and repair into a powerful design strategy.” [1]
Building on bureau greisch’s renovation expertise
For several years, bureau greisch has deliberately chosen to focus on ambitious renovation projects. Our multidisciplinary teams are able to meet the specific requirements of these projects in order to best support clients, architects and partners. Through this award, the office fully embraces Europe’s vision of initiating a shift in the construction industry from “all-new building” towards initiatives aligned with future challenges.
Other projects — such as KANAL, the transformation of the former Citroën garage into a cultural hub, or the conversion of the WTC I and WTC II towers for the ZIN in N(o)ord project, which was also awarded — clearly illustrate this trend.
The rehabilitation of the Charleroi exhibition hall (50,000 m²) brought together a committed, motivated and united team around numerous challenges, including those addressed by the greisch team:
- Taking into account new fire safety regulations, particularly smoke extraction requirements, for a building constructed before the establishment of current standards;
- Integrating flexible and versatile low-energy building services systems, such as the mix-in duct system for air treatment, heating, cooling and ventilation;
- Ensuring user comfort in every technical aspect;
- Developing a controlled and thoughtful approach to interior and exterior lighting in order to reinforce the venue’s conviviality and highlight its different spatial arrangements;
- Reusing, stabilising and strengthening the existing steel structures, with the challenge of reinstating loads identical to those removed;
- Protecting existing concrete structures against carbonation after formerly interior elements became exposed to the exterior;
- Adjusting the static schemes of the concrete structures following targeted demolition works.
We are particularly proud to have supported all stakeholders involved in this remarkable project. It demonstrates that older buildings can be renovated with high architectural ambitions through an approach combining intelligence, rigour and perseverance.
Project stakeholders
- Client: City of Charleroi
- Delegated client: Igretec
- Architect: Temporary association Agwa — Jan de Vylder — Inge Vinck — Taillieu
- Engineering consultancies:
- Structural engineering, building services and energy: Bureau greisch
- Fire safety: Delta GC
- Health & Safety: PS2
- Site supervision — structural engineering and fire safety: Socotec
- Contractors:
- Main contractor: DBMK consortium: Bemat — Koekelberg — Eiffage
- HVAC: Cegelec
- Electrical engineering: Collignon SA
- Lifting equipment: Schindler
