Château Mondron, Industrial heritage site in Jumet, Belgium.
Château Mondron is a brick building with five levels and 47 rooms organized around a central chapel. The estate sits within a 4-hectare park near Brussels South Airport and currently provides seven transitional housing units.
A coal and glass manufacturer named Valentin Lambert commissioned architect Elie Piérard to build this estate in 1881 as a symbol of his wealth. Three decades later, it was transformed into a church in 1930, changing its purpose completely.
The chapel at the heart of the building shows how the space found new meaning for the community while keeping its industrial roots visible. Walking through the rooms, you sense the coexistence of two different purposes that have shaped this place.
The grounds are surrounded by a large park that helps you get your bearings when exploring the location. The building is now a housing project rather than a museum, so visiting options are limited, but the exterior architecture and estate grounds are accessible from the outside.
Glass windows from the original entrance hall were built into the church choir, physically linking the industrial past with today's religious purpose. This blending of two different periods of use shows in this subtle architectural detail.
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