New Urban Relics
februari 13, 2026
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In 1865, the then-liberal city council—partly influenced by the raging process of women's emancipation—judged that the time was ripe for a school for higher education for girls. The Catholic opposition opposed what they regarded as a place of godlessness and a breeding ground for liberal thought. After two years of bickering, the diocese eventually gave the green light as well. A competition was promptly announced, in which the design by two Brussels architects emerged as the best. Construction began in 1874 and was completed in 1876.
It became a striking building, characterized by impressive pilasters supporting a substantial triangular pediment with a wide cornice. The city's coat of arms adorns that pediment. The classrooms are situated on two floors surrounding a playground covered by a glass roof. After the merger with another school, the girls left, and a nursing school was housed here for a while. Just before the turn of the millennium, the building was sold to the Liège water company and has stood vacant ever since. The water company intends to establish its registered office here. Renovation work commenced in 2018.
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