The Centre d’Innovation et de Design (CID – Centre for Innovation and Design in English) at Grand Hornu is an initiative located in one of the UNESCO-recognised mining sites of the province of Wallonia in Belgium. The CID aims to promote contemporary design through engaging in research and a variety of exhibitions. The initiative also provides educational training modules to the public on architecture and design, and it hosts a range of events such as lectures and workshops. There are daily guided tours of the premises, and sporadically it hosts live performances. There is an Artshop on-site, where architectural and design items may be purchased, and a restaurant that serves contemporary regional cuisine.
Grand-Hornu has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2012. The complex was built in the 19th century, and it began operating at the height of the industrial revolution. The Grand-Hornu Colliery quickly became one of the largest mining companies in the newly independent Belgium. It was a thriving industrial area that provided high-quality living accommodation and services to its employees. [1;3]
In 1954, after the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) rationalised production, industrial operations ceased and the site was abandoned. In the late 1960s, heritage enthusiasts campaigned to save the site from destruction. In 1971, the architect Henri Guchez purchased the site, began renovation works and established his firm there. In 1989, the Province de Hainaut purchased the complex and continued renovations. Grand-Hornu Images, a non-profit cultural organisation, established its offices there to pursue its threefold mission of protecting and promoting heritage, tourism and culture. In the early 1990s, the French Community decided to launch the Museum of Contemporary Arts at Grand-Hornu, resulting in final renovations. Since the Museum of Contemporary Arts opened in 2002, the complex has opened to the public. [1]
Since 2014, Grand-Hornu Images has become The Centre d’Innovation et de Design (CID – Centre for Innovation and Design in English). It operates as a cultural centre that promotes innovation and research in design, architecture and graphics through a programme of exhibitions and outreach activities. Next to the Museum of Contemporary Arts, there are permanent and temporary exhibitions and performances, lectures, workshops, and guided tours. Moreover, CID provides educational training modules around its temporary exhibitions for children, teenagers and adults. There is also a publicly-available documentation centre at Grand-Hornu, containing 9.000 volumes related to current arts, design, architecture and industrial archaeology. Additionally, there is an Artshop on-site, where architectural and design items may be purchased, and a restaurant that serves contemporary regional cuisine. The site attracts around 75,000 visitors from across Europe on an annual basis. [1;2]
Province de Hainaut owns the almost 4-hectare site. The Centre d’Innovation et de Design (CID) operates as a non-profit association. [1;2]
The Centre d’Innovation et de Design (CID) is financed by the Province Henegouwe.[2]
The total amount invested in the renovation of the building is unknown.
Centre d’Innovation et de Design au Grand-Hornu (CID), organisational website, www.cid-grand-hornu.be/, accessed on 15/02/2022
CID – Centrum voor innovatie en design in Grand-Hornu (2014), press release (in Dutch), available at docplayer.nl/24679141-Cid-centrum-voor-innovatie-en-design-in-grand-hornu.html, accessed on 15/02/2022
UNESCO (n.d.), Le Grand-Hornu, Major Mining Sites of Wallonia (Belgium), available on whc.unesco.org/en/list/1344/, accessed on 15/02/2022