Belfry and Cloth Hall of Ypres restored

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After five and a half years of works, the Belfry and Cloth Hall in Ypres have been fully restored. Commissioned by the City of Ypres, the project was carried out by B-juxta and ARTER in collaboration with contractor Monument Vandekerckhove, with support from the Flemish Heritage Agency.

The intervention addressed the entire external envelope of the complex — including the tower spire, façades, joinery and roofs — while building upon the historic reconstruction carried out after the First World War under the direction of city architect Jules Coomans.

A layered monument

Dating back to around 1200, the Cloth Hall is one of the largest medieval civic halls in Europe. For centuries it formed the civic centre of Ypres, bringing together the cloth market, the Belfry — symbol of urban freedom and vigilance — and the city’s administrative functions.

Following the destruction of the First World War, the complex was reconstructed in phases from the 1920s onwards. Completed in 1967, this reconstruction continues to define both the appearance and the structural logic of the building today. The recent restoration was conceived as a continuation of that process.


Restoring according to the building’s logic

The works were organised in the same sequence as the twentieth-century reconstruction, allowing each part of the complex to be addressed according to its specific construction methods and materials.

The campaign began with the Belfry tower, the city’s most recognisable landmark. The façades were cleaned using steam and micro-abrasion techniques, masonry joints were renewed and deteriorated stone elements were carefully replaced or repaired.

One of the most significant operations concerned the timber spire. The entire roof structure was dismantled, digitally documented and reassembled following stabilisation works. This detailed inventory allowed almost the entire historic timber structure to be retained.


Façades, joinery and roofs

In the following phases the restoration extended to the wider building complex. Masonry and natural stone were repaired and repointed, while historic timber windows and doors were dismantled, restored and reinstated. Stained-glass panels were treated in specialised workshops before being returned to their original frames.

The roofs received new slate coverings and improved insulation. Existing timber structures were reinforced where necessary, including discreet steel elements that remain legible within the interior structure.

Throughout the works the museum and visitor functions of the building remained open to the public, which formed an important constraint in the organisation of the site.


Continuing a centuries-old structure

Through this restoration, one of Flanders’ most significant monuments has been structurally and architecturally strengthened. The project restores coherence to the complex while ensuring its continued use, respecting the historical layers that have shaped the building over time.


A film documenting the restoration process — from the first works on the Belfry tower to the completion of the roofs and façades — can be viewed here.