Ancienne École provinciale des textiles et bonneterie — Tournai

In 1930 the Province of Hainaut, wishing to promote high-quality technical and vocational education, had the architect Georges Bariseau build this building for the former provincial school of textiles and hosiery, now a provincial adult education school, with large, well-lit classrooms and a spacious gymnasium. Standing, according to the inventory, at the turning point between Art Deco and modernism, it raises, above a limestone base imitating rustication, three storeys of red and orange brick, pierced by wide windows, on either side of the entrance bay and the gymnasium. The latter stands out through its perpendicular volume, its tall windows and a bas-relief by De Korte on the theme of sport. The entrance, in fine materials, welcomes visitors with a wrought-iron staircase; according to the inventory, the ironwork of the stairwell, the railings of the outer low walls, the glazed tiles, the surviving roof lights, the floor coverings of the entrance hall and the wooden cornices all contribute to the heritage value of the building. At the rear, the classrooms have a more functional architecture, with simple flat-roofed volumes whose elevations combine a reinforced-concrete frame with brick infill allowing for wide windows. It is recorded in the Walloon heritage inventory.

Translated from the French original.