Behind the walls - Looking back is going forward by

deborah_allemeersch — 2023-09-27 18:25:37 UTC

Post a picture of a cultural heritage-site in your neighborhood which is neglected. Tell a bit about the story of the place as a description on the padlet.

The 'Delmerensmolen' - Hanne Coppens

2023-10-09 15:05:35 UTC

The ‘Delmerensmolen’ is a historic mill in Aarsele, which is a part of Tielt. It was demolished in 1854 and replaced with a round stone mill in 1857. The operation of the mill came to an end in 1956, leading to neglect and safety issues. In 2004, Tielt wanted to demolish the mill, but that was forbidden, so in 2017, the mill was partially preserved and covered with a net to prevent further deterioration. It’s a great example of a heritage-site in my neighbourhood which is neglected. I think it would be a perfect location for a new restaurant or bar in Aarsele!

the kapellemolen

paulineaudenaert — 2023-10-09 16:17:46 UTC

The Kapellemolen or Waalbosmolen with its miller's farm is a stone corn and oil mill, located east of my village center. The stone corn mill was built in 1847 to replace an old wooden stake mill on its present site since at least the second quarter of the 17th century. The mill weathered two world wars but lost relevance in modern times. Today, the mill is still managed by a descendant of Charles Bals (the first owner), however, as you can see it's a bit neglected and in bad condition. It's a beautiful place I pass by every day with lots of opportunities for my small village. (e.g. for a tearoom with a garden or a petting zoo)

The 'Plaetse Molen' te Pittem

2023-10-10 17:58:27 UTC

The ‘Plaatse Molen’ is a mill in Pittem and has a long history of destruction and reconstruction. The first mention of a mill dates from 1386, when it was being rebuilt after a war. The word Plaatse or Plaetse (in old-Flemish) refers to the city centre, as it’s not very far away. In 1532, it was reported that a second mill has been built, a few metres away and had the function of an oil mill. In the second half of the 16^th century, the mill was again destroyed due to religious tensions. Even later, when the French had taken over West-Flanders, the mill was sold to someone from Bruges, Jacques Pecsteen. In 1909, a fire completely ruined the entire establishment. During – you can guess it – another reconstruction, a wooden beam was discovered with an inscription that read ‘1786 – I. YWBO’ and a decorative motive from Louis XIV. In 1949, just after WOII, the mill’s job was over and it hasn’t been used ever since. A year later, the sails were taken off and the mill definitely lost it’s usefulness. The community bought the site and the annex was converted into a room for a youth movement. However, the room is hardly ever used and there are already newer and better youth locals. Today, the mill has been engraved into the landscape of Pittem, purposeless and unsightly. Since the last restauration (in 2009), all the mill does is swallow money and time. Even though it’s beautifully located, with on one side the city centre and the other the fields. To me, it would make a lovely restaurant or tea-room, a small hall for expositions or exhibitions or even a hostel of some kind (for the youth movements that are close by). Maybe a total revival of it's former use, make it a mill again? In whatever way, it's a pity that it stays like this: untouched, but with potential.

Hoeve D'heerlijkhede van Deefakker

2023-10-11 14:55:32 UTC

The 'Hoeve D'heerlijkhede van Deefakker' is an old farm in Ingelmunster that dates from somewhere between 1400 and 1500. Sadly there is barely any information available about its history and the owners through the years. The farm consists of several buildings that form a U (you can only see 1 of the buildings on the picture. There are barely any photo's available since it's forbidden to take any). People in my town had been talking about renovating the place for a long time before someone actually did. In 2019 everyone had the opporutnity to visit the property and they would explain what was going to happen to it. They started renovating but before any actual changes were made COVID19 happened and everyone had to stay home. Even though lockdown has been over for a long time, nothing has changed since then. Right now the farm belongs to the family Lapierre, who want to renovate it completely by early 2025. They want to turn it into 13 houses, 1 care home for people with a handicap, and 1 touristic stay. I'm happy they are planning on renovating it because I think it has a lot of potential.

Steenbakkerij Ampe - Egem

jelkedebusschere — 2023-10-11 15:30:01 UTC

This remarkable site is called “Steenbakkerij Ampe”. It’s located in Egem on an old mill site founded in the second quarter of the 17^th century. Around 1900, it was extended with the construction of several chicory mills and eventually expanded into a brick factory. The company consists of a mid-20^th-century house in traditionalist style, late-19^th-century and mainly 20^th-century farm buildings and sheds, accessible via a wide cobbled road, west of the Brugsesteenweg. The associated clay quarry with its exceptional fossil richness is of European importance in the field of palaeontology. With 96 700m², I think this zone is truly unique and perfect for potential redevelopment.

Dairy Factory Lactil - Joren Van Daele

jorenvandaele — 2023-10-11 16:39:57 UTC

Tucked away in the heart of Tielt’s industrial history lies a forgotten gem – the Lactil dairy factory. This once-thriving establishment, before 1964 known as the Sint-Joseph steam dairy, is a former dairy processing plant in Tielt. It was founded by Cyrille Bauwens and his wife Anna Blomme. It all began in 1927 with the factory being first built in the Vijverstraat. Due to a lack of space, they moved to a newly established branch on Felix D'Hoopstraat in 1936. Initially, they only made butter, but after World War II they started producing bottled milk. The following years saw expansions of production areas and offices and new products being launched. Since 1955, the company switched to the manufacture of milk powder for concentrated feeds and the preparation of chocolate and ice cream. Things were going well until the company began struggling and eventually stopped production in late 1994 - early 1995. The market share went to Campina and Lactil Dairy ceased to exist.

It's a pity that this piece of cultural heritage has been left behind, doomed to dwell in the shadows of Tielt. Because of this, I already have a few ideas for turning this neglected building back into a vivid location. It could be transformed into a museum about the history of dairy production, or a community center, providing a hub for local activities, workshops, and events. It could also be an artistic and creative space, and its unique atmosphere could make it an inspiring location for artists, writers, and performers. Lactil may be a neglected piece of cultural heritage, but it's not too late to give it the recognition it deserves.

the monastery in Pittem

2023-10-11 16:44:48 UTC

The monastery in Pittem is an old building with a long history. It was established in 1840 by a pastor as a school. The school was meant for poor kids because there was an economical crisis in that time. Soon the school had over 260 students. When a typhoid epidemic broke out, it became a hospital where the nuns took care of the eldery. 8 years later, in 1848 it became an orphanage for almost 80 children. Now the building is a monastery, but only a few nuns live in that giant building. The school next to the monastery uses the garden or the chapel sometimes, but I think there can be more uses of that beautiful building. I think the spacious garden can be used by the local youth movements. The monastery is located in the centre of Pittem, a perfect place for a restaurant or a bar, or maybe a museum about Pittem? I know the monastery is still in use, but I don't think it's used upto its potential.

Herentmolen te Meulebeke

yanavandeweghe — 2023-10-11 18:06:45 UTC

The

Herentmolen

is a mill that has been rebuilt quite a few times. That is because the mill is very old. The first reference to the mill was in 1575. The 16th century was the first time the mill was damaged. In 1886 a nine-year-old boy died because he was hit by one of the sails. During the First World War, the mill was destroyed completely and rebuilt between 1920 and 1922. In 1927 the mill got new owners, and they had a café in the mill. However, that didn't last long. The mill was rebuilt a couple more times. And now it hasn't been touched since 2005. I think this building deserves more attention than it's getting now. I think it could be a fun idea to continue what people have already started a long time ago, and open a café there. They could also use the mill to open a little museum because it's a rare mill, it has a feature that no other mill has in Flanders. So there's lots of possibilities.

Sint-Jozefscollege in Tielt

2023-10-11 18:28:31 UTC

The Sint-Jozefcollege in the Kortrijkstraat in Tielt was founded in 1686 by Franciscans (a group within the Catholic Church) and became a Latin school. When the Franciscans left the school in 1848, the diocese took over the administration. During WOI the study halls and classrooms of the college were used as stables for horses and as a supply warehouse. During WOII the building became a refuge for fugitives and was later made into a temporary Belgian military hospital. Afterwords the Germans occupied the college. Now it stands empty and isn't actively used. When I was little they exceptionally performed plays there ,but now it isn't being used at all. I think this building has a lot of potention in many ways: a café, a hall for regular performances, a place for indoor markets...

The castle of Wakken

2023-10-11 19:18:13 UTC

This huge castle, hidden in Wakken, was built around 1840 and is located in Kasteeldreef 9. It was built on the foundation of an even older castle that was built in 1280 by Jan van Oudenaarde. And after World War II, the castle was used as an orphanage for the children who lost their parents during the war. And since 1964, this castle has been used as an lawyer agency. A fun fact about this building is that there are still some remnants of the old castle in the courtyard, such as a pillory, a carriage house that are now houses, and a walkway. Another fun fact is that there is a church across the castle, and despite the fact that almost every church is oriented towards the east, is this church oriented towards the castle. The property has a surface of 66 835 m². Today, the building is still used as a lawyer agency, but I think it has way more potential as a hotel, B&B, or something else in the catering industry because Wakken has a lot of bicycle tourism in Wakken.

The 'Vlaagtmolen' in Ruiselede

jeannevanvooren — 2023-10-11 19:23:24 UTC

This mill dates from 1368, back then it was made of wood and it functioned as a flour mill. In 1867 the wooden mill was demolished and replaced by a stone mill. It lost its hood in 1940 due to a storm, after that they used a diesel engine. In 1941 parts of the mill were used in another mill in Ruiselede, namely the Knokmolen. Ruiselede is a 'Molendorp', which translates to a mill vilage, so there are a lot of mills. In WWII the Germans used it as a viewpoint, and later they destroyed the interior.
In the past it was used a lot, but now it's neglected. It could be of use as a banquet hall or as a b&b just like the 2 other mills in Ruiselede.

The house 'Joseph Veys'

manondumoulin3 — 2023-10-11 19:28:16 UTC

We see the house 'Joseph Veys' in Pittem, right opposite the main entrace of the Church of Our Lady. It is in the Markt 22.
Count Felix de Mûelenaere was born here.
He was a member of the national Congress, the first governor of West Flanders, the First Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of State appointed in 1832, and Member of Parliament for Kortrijk and Tielt.

The building was built in 1784 by Gregorius de Mûelenaere. In 1892 the house came into the possession of the Elslander shopkeeper family. They expanded the house at the rear around 1900. In 1930, during the celebration of 100 years of Belgian independence, a commemorative plaque was placed on the facade to mark the birthplace of Felix to indicate the Mûelenaere. In 1934, the house was purchased by printer Veys, who had the facade of the house modified.

I think it could be used as a shop or as a café. It has the perfect location, the market, the city of Pittem. It has a very beautiful facade and can be nicely renovated. It can also become a museum of Pittem with Felix as the leading role. Felix was a very well-known and important person, I think it is important that this is certainly incorporated into the new project.

Bakkerij te Kanegem - Lore Van Hecke

2023-10-11 19:37:56 UTC

In Kanegem City there is not so much to see. In the heart of Kanegem appears since recently a forgotten building—a centuries-old bakery with a rich cultural history. Now abandoned, it holds the promise of a new beginning. Kanegem's community envisions a revived cultural hub, maybe a restaurant, or a store? The bakery's potential rebirth offers a chance to honor traditions and shape a brighter future for the town, and make it live again.

The swimming pool ''Stella''

2023-10-14 12:49:20 UTC

The building you can observe in the photo above is the only club with a swimming pool that survived of those built in Madrid during the first half of the 20th century.
For decades, it was the icon of Madrid modernity and a pioneering place, where the bikini was worn for the first time. It also was a meeting point for artists and celebrities, Ava Gardner herself had a bath in its waters. It was closed to the public in 2006 and protected by a special plan since 2011, the building is deteriorating day by day, while its owners search in vain for a buyer.
In my opinion, it would be great to reopen it as a social club again or maybe transform it into a museum that shows how madrid was in that time and somehow show hoy society has chaged throughout the years.

Sanatorio de la Marina

2023-10-16 16:40:37 UTC

The Navy sanatorium was inaugurated in 1949 to treat Spanish marines or military men suffering from respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis.
This place is located in the Guadarrama mountain range, because there you can breathe pure air that is not contaminated by the city's pollution.
It was open for more than half a century, but in 2001 it closed due to the advancement of medical technology and new cures faster and more efficient to these types of respiratory issues.
After its closure in 2001, this building became a legend due to alleged paranormal presences.
In fact, many people assure to have heard large groups of people running inside,inexplicable noises, shadows...
Currently, this building has signs of banditry such as graffiti or macabre rituals and homeless people who stay inside.

By: Mónica García-Hoz

Hospital of La Tablada

2023-10-21 12:21:17 UTC

This building is located in Guadarrama, which is a municipality located in the northern part of the Community of Madrid, the capital of Spain.
The building is an old hospital that began to being built in 1936, while this process was taking place, it was destroyed due to a war conflict. Because of that, it was rebuilt in 1950. This hospital has never been opened or used because the administrators decided not to complete its construction. It has been used for some films as it conveys mystery and terror through its unfinished facade. The result of this building is a mole of bricks that many people who are keen on abandoned and mysterious places usually visit as a tourism.
The main purpose of this sanatorium was to treat tuberculosis, a disease that caused the death of millions of people around the 1930s. The advantages of its location included access to clean air and isolation, both of which were believed to minimize the effects of the disease.

For me, this building could be renovated to serve as another hospital, providing a serene environment away from the noise and pollution of the downtown. Breathing clean air and being surrounded by nature can have a positive impact on recovery. Also waking up every morning to the beautiful and different views of landscape is preferable to a city space filled with buildings and crowded streets.

Palacio de los duques de Osuna

2023-10-22 11:59:08 UTC

El Palacio de los duques de Osuna , also known as the Palace of Farinelli, is a neoclassical building that was built in 1751 in Aranjuez, Madrid. It is notable because it was the seasonal residence of a famous owner, María Josefa Alonso-Pimentel Téllez-Girón, who held the titles of XV Countess and XII Duchess of Benavente, as well as other titles due to inheritance and marriage.
The nickname "Palacio de Farinelli" comes from the famous Italian castrato Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, who was an opera singer and close friend of Maria Josefa. Farinelli became a very influential figure at the Spanish court, and the relationship between him and Maria Josefa left a significant mark on the palace's history.
The palace's construction reflects the elegance and refinement of the neoclassical style, characterized by its symmetry, harmonious proportions and decorative elements inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. The building features an impressive façade, spacious lounges and carefully designed gardens.
Over the years, the Palace of the Dukes of Osuna has witnessed various events and has housed several generations of the noble family. Its history is intertwined with the rich aristocratic tradition of Spain, and its architecture and artistic details make it a tangible testimony of the greatness of the time.
Unfortunately on May 2, 2018, suffered a fire that destroyed part of the palace and since then the palace has been abandoned
I think it could be rebuilt apart from the parts of the palace preserved so that it can reopen to the public and not forget the history of the building.

Sanatorio de la Barranca

2023-10-22 16:42:41 UTC

This building could be found close to Navacerrada. It was built in 1940 by the Ministry of Health, its main purpose is as well as other sanatoriums was to isolate in places near the woods to cure tuberculosis, fibrosis or lung cancer. This was the best treatment until the discovery of penicillin.

The Sanatorio del Santo Ángel as it is also called, was coverted in 1962 in to a psychiatric hospital, but in 1995 was abandoned. Since 1995 it has suffered vandalism such as graffitis, fires or even satanism, it is also known for the paranormal activity. It could be used as an hotel because the landscape in the mountain could attract tourist or even could be restored and be used as a science study centre.

El pabellón de los hexágonos

2023-10-22 19:05:17 UTC

The Hexagon Pavilion located in La Casa de Campo in Madrid is a building that arrived in Madrid in 1959 after winning the first prize at the Brussels Universal Exhibition in 1958. It was designed by two architects, José Antonio Corrales and Ramón Vázquez Molezún, who represented Spain at this exhibition.

The two conditions established by the competition were to respect the existing trees and to make the pavilion removable. Therefore, the pavilion was able to be transported to La Casa de Campo in Madrid in 1959. The pavilion's design was based on hexagonal modules in the shape of inverted umbrellas, allowing the building to adapt to any terrain. When moved from Brussels to Madrid, the building took on a new shape, adapting to the new terrain and respecting the existing trees.

The Hexagon Pavilion hosted the Field Fairs between 1950 and 1975. This building has been abandoned since then and on November 20 of 2019, the remodeling of the space began. The budget for the renovation is 1.3 million euros, and the aim is to recover and turn into a museum approximately 850 square meters of the more than 3000 available.

Church of San Pedro Apóstol (Leganés)

2023-10-23 16:54:51 UTC

The Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Polvoranca is a church located in the Polvoranca Park, belonging to the municipality of Leganés (Madrid). It has its origin in the Modern Age, since it was built during the 17th century. It is of baroque style, in spite of its Romanesque forms. In 1998, the church was classified as a Protected Building by the City Council of Leganés and in 2014 the red list of heritage included it to its catalog due to the state of abandonment in which it has been for years.In 2014 they elaborated a preliminary project in which the church was to become a local museum. This proposal was dismissed in 2018 by a councilman of Heritage of Leganés, who assured that he had no intention of undertaking the work for its improvement.

Antiguo edificio de Radio Nacional de España.

gonzalohernandez23_ — 2023-10-24 16:25:05 UTC

Located on the Chinchón road, next to the Arganda Bridge, is the old building of Radio Nacional de España, inaugurated in 1954, which today is popular for being the new headquarters of El Ministerio del Tiempo in its fourth season, the successful series . broadcast by TVE, in addition to having appeared in other productions, such as a post office in Velvet Coleccion (Movistar+), and as the Medical Research Center in La Valla (Antena 3).

The building was designed by the architect Diego Méndez following the guidelines of classical architecture from the Franco era. Inside, the entrance hall stands out, a square room decorated with polychrome marbles, presided over by a large double-shot staircase, also made of marble. On its first floor, there is all the machinery responsible for generating the voltage and current necessary for shortwave transmitters, and on its third floor, it has a library with notable telecommunications articles and books.

I think that this building, instead of being used to record television series, which is also very good, could be more focused on the cultural sphere. For example, a library could be created with computers and study areas so that those people who do not have enough resources at home can access culture.

San Juan Evangelista Residence Hall

joelgonzalez13_ — 2023-10-26 16:47:09 UTC

This residence hall, well-known as El Johnny, was founded in 1966 as part of the Complutense University of Madrid. This place was identified as the Music and Jazz club. It was a very important place where some of the greatest Spanish artists in our history performed. For example, Camarón de la Isla gave his last concert here on the January 25th, 1992.

Nowadays, it is abandoned, although his strong spirit persists. I think it can be possible to give it a second life. For example, it can be used as a new musical stage in the city to conserve his essence.