After €10.8 million in investments, the Flemish Government and the city of Ghent have submitted a proposal to designate Ghent's arts centre, the De Vooruit Festival Hall, as a UNESCO World Heritage.
The building had already been added to the "tentative list" for World Heritage by the Flemish government last year. With the submission of the official application, UNESCO is expected to make its decision by summer 2027.
De Vooruit building, designed by Flemish architect Ferdinand Dierken, opened its doors in 1913 and is one of Belgium’s oldest arts centres.
Vooruit Festival Hall became a major hub for socialist festivities and culture in pre-Second World War Flemish society. Built to provide workers with accessible leisure activities, the building was named after the socialist consumer organisation (or cooperative) Vooruit.
After the political party Socialistische Partij Anders ( sp.a) changed its name to Vooruit in 2021, the arts centre adopted its current name, VIERNULVIER. The building, however, retained the name De Vooruit.
In recent years, Flanders has invested €10.8 million in restoration.
The UNESCO application involved collaboration between Flanders, VIERNULVIER, the city of Ghent, Ghent University, and international partners in Australia and Denmark. The goal is to establish a new international heritage category focused on historic buildings tied to the labour movement.
Flemish Minister of Heritage Ben Weyts (N-VA) emphasised the building's significance in promoting workers' emancipation and Flemish history.
"Its recognition as world heritage would be well-deserved," Weyts said. "We should take greater pride in our history and the achievements of our ancestors. Sometimes we fail to realise the extent of international excellence we possess here in Flanders."
