Town hall of Tourcoing

The Town hall of Tourcoing is a Historic building builds 1866 with 1885 on the original levels of the architect tourquennois Charles Maillard.

At the origins of the current Town hall

The Market échevinale of XVIe century

The large borough clothier which was Tourcoing equipped with a market échevinale in 1612: built out of bricks in a Flemish style, it was about a rather simple building, equipped with a peristyle with colonnades, the overcome whole of traditional the Lion of Flandres. This building, located on the Town square, turning the back on the parish church Saint-Christophe, sheltered the meetings of the aldermen, chaired by the Baillif: this form of municipal organization, created in 1432, lasted until the Révolution.

The Town hall of 1718

The fastening of the châtellenie of Lille in France in 1668 brought a will of classicism in local architecture. The market échevinale, old Flemish masonry, became exigüe for a city as Tourcoing which reached twelve thousand inhabitants then. In 1718, one decided to shave the market and to build a town hall in a very French style, drawn by the architect Gombert inhabitant of Lille: it was a white stone building on a floor which surmounted a decorated entry of five arcades. The duke of Harbor, lord of the city, made add in 1753 a body of guard which was used especially as room of files. To the Revolution, one added on the frontage two allegorical statues of Justice and Freedom. This building undergoes various installations during the 19th century, in particular an enlarging and new arcades to accommodate the purse and the chamber of commerce of the city. However, as of 1850, the town hall was regarded as too small for a city which reached already forty thousand inhabitants.

Construction project of a new town hall

In 1853, the mayor of Tourcoing, Louis Wattinne, proposed the construction of a new town hall: but receipts of the city being extremely limited at that time, and the municipal council having already subsidized the removal of sound municipal College, the project remained without effects until 1861 when a contest of architecture at the national level was orgnisé. a certain Leon Trohard gained the first price, but its project was considered to be too ambitious and badly positioned (the building proposed would have occupied all the Town square). It was finally the third price, the architect tourquennois Charles Maillard (who is at the origin of many remarkable private mansions in the city but also of the neo-gothic enlarging of the church Saint Christophe) which was selected.

Construction of the new Town hall: 1866-1885

The architectural project of Charles Maillard, who was rather monumental from the point of view of the proportions and esthetics, was highly criticized on the one hand at its cost and on the other hand for its site: indeed, breaking with the local tradition, the future town hall would not be built on the Town square but about fifty meters further, on what was not whereas an esplanade of no importance (current place Victor Hassebroucq). One reproached this town hall for being built " with the campagne"! However, the municipal council held good and posed the first stone in 1866. Work of carcass work heavy castings finished in 1871. In 1874, the official unveiling and the installation of the municipal council in the new town hall did not accelerate work of completion which was completed only in 1885 (this date is registered besides on the pediment of the building). The old town hall unused, was reconverted out of finally shaven produce exchange then in 1900.

The Town hall of Tourcoing, symbol of industrial prosperity

External description

Description of the principal frontage:

This building comprises three levels of rise and five spans. Those of the center are a surmounted fore-part of a dome and whose third level corresponds to the roof of the houses latéraux.
The first level, initially, is composed of a large staircase to degree softened with returns, of nine steps - the fifth formant stage -. The high stone base of Soignies gives the impression of cellars, out of english bond, regular, and full-on-joint. The higher semi-columns are based on projections in the wall. A reigning moulding made up of a moulding plane, a flat channel and a reversed moulding plane, separates the levels which do not correspond on the floors.

To the three spans of the fore-part, to the first level, three doors correspond. The wall is there in large regular apparatus, as on the wings treated between them in the same way; with a framed rectangular window on each side by a semi-committed column supporting a taken down entablature.
On all the fore-part, the bay delimited by two semi-columns on the wings, and the angle of the building, alternate an embossing in table perforated and the naked one of the wall. Rings on the semi-columns continue the cords thus drawn, while on their naked parts, these columns are grooved.
It is noticed that they concern the French Ionic order with base with tori and scoties, capital with volutes between-which is held a ovolo, and who retain reasons for vegetable garlands. The angles of the fore-part do not have corner columns but buttresses, always with alternated embossings, which emphasize this fore-part. Three doors are bored in three large arcades in full-clotheshanger with simple roller; one can think from their number of a triumphal arch, or the gates of the cathedrals. The key of the principal door is decorated of two cherubs being pressed on a Cu with the armorial bearings of Tourcoing. Above the two side doors, a decoration of palmettes is spread around a medallion with three clover with three sheets. Between the doors leans a semi-column, like on the buttresses.
The windows are not in remainder: above the higher barge, a modénature supports two putti lying on the belly, holding a " T" for Tourcoing, crowning it with bay-trees, and other hand rejecting a branch of bay-trees behind falling down symmetrically on their folded knee. Lastly, a plank of vegetable garlands is spread just below the very projecting moulding being used as cornice.

The second level follows the same structure as the lower level, but the treatment of the decorations follows a logical progression upwards: The fore-part always has three less high and glazed bays of full-clotheshanger but, simple windows, which evoke nevertheless the rise of glass and the large canopies at that time. A cord profiled reign with the supports of cross and their not very high balustrade, made square pear balusters. The key of arc of the windows is decorated of a dumb medallion surrounded by a vegetable decoration (acanthuses) which continues on the mouldings of the intrados.
These windows are also separated by semi-columns, but their barrel is entirely grooved and their capital is Corinthian (lines of sheets of acanthuses, angular and median volutes, axial floret…), there is thus superposition of the orders between the two levels. The entablature is taken down clearly above the axial window to form a rectangular embrasure around this bay, and an additional projection on the fore-part. This architectural reason is taken again on the two wings: where always two rise pairs of semi-columns around a window appears a niche made up of a frontage with arcade in full-clotheshanger with the oven walls with transoms projecting and rectangular, and triangular pediment. Plumb with this niche a stone of size to excavated embossing arises, proof of the horror of the vacuum of this architectural style. There too, the columns are Corinthian, and embossings are alternate only on the corner buttresses and with the angles of the frontage; the embossing which spring is vermiculé.
The windows always rectangular and are decorated, but above the medallion a small triangular pediment rises which frames it, repeating the reason for the quadrature of the circle. One can notice close to all the bases of the semi-columns the presence of a ring which lengthens them, and thus heightens the mezzanine of the building. The mouldings higher resemble ionic/Corinthian entablatures than fasces. The planks are charged with carved consoles and garlands, and the cornice is supported by modillons of balance.

The last level of rise combines a wall structured on the fore-part and a bored mansard-roofed roof of two symmetrical windows which give on the files. The fore-part is an stage-attic; i.e. it finishes a rise, separates the levels from an important cornice, and that its order is attic thus made of short pilasters. Only the corner buttresses this time keep their alternated embossing, with table, and their base comprises a stringcourse which will extend like a leitmotiv under bays and the clock. A solid capital of square plan the crown, itself supporting the base of a naked statue, upright.
Two rectangular windows as those of the wings frame the clock. Mouldings decorate their tables then fall down in palmettes and volutes by adopting the shape of a right-angled triangle on each side. They have a pediment with S with volutes, reason more complex than the rectangular pediments seen up to that point. With the same balance this pediment finds its echo in a head of angel as nimbée by a pediment in segment whose two garlands fall down and of many floral ornaments. The decoration, of traditional inspiration Louis XIV, deadens the vertical.
The framework of the clock is carved like the medallions of the windows but in much broader. One realizes whereas it is an arcade in full-clotheshanger with key in high relief. Its oven walls are also in S with volutes, but the impression of a circular medallion is given by the sculpture of winged sand glass ready to fly away - image of the time which passes -, which closes the framework of the clock. This one is framed of two caryatids in chiton ancient representing the day and the night, still symbols of the temps.
Large sheets of acanthus meet on the key of the arc, and do not stop with the cornice with cavet, groove of miter and stringcourse but continues around the ecu with the weapons of Tourcoing in bulky branches of oak (for longevity, the force) and of olive-tree (peace). The blazon is of money to the sand cross charged with five gold besants, and an also gilded crown overhangs it while following the curve of the pediment in segment resting on two transoms decorated with a floret. The pediment supports to him also sat or lengthened naked statues, work of Huidiez.

Lastly, it is necessary to speak about the dome with sides, out of slate; a wall sideboard in its top carries balustrades around the bored octagonal bell-tower of arcades to the oven walls to posts. Small propping up étoilent themselves around this unit, whose load is a squat obelisk. Lastly, the bulbous roof rests on eight triangular pediments plumb with the arcades. The pole of the flag which finishes the composition (also lightning conductor) rests on a ball and gives a little more height to the town hall when it is pavoisé.

Interior description

Localization and means of access

Located on the place Victor Hassebroucq, the Town hall east with two steps of the Town square and the parish church Saint-Christophe. He is also aligned with the old Chamber of commerce, or Belfry of Tourcoing, which faces him nearly two hundred meters of distance.

The Town hall is accessible to foot, in the car, the bus, the tram like in the subway.

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