Charleroi Palais Des Expositions
CHARLEROI PALAIS DES EXPOSITIONS
AgwA, architecten jan de vylder inge vinck
ARCHITECTS
AgwA, architecten jan de vylder inge vinck
PHOTOGRAPHS
Filip Dujardin
YEAR
2026
LOCATION
Belgium
CATEGORY
Adaptive Reuse
English description provided by the architects.
The 2026 Architecture Winner is the Renovation of the 1950s convention center Charleroi Palais des Expositions in Wallonia, Belgium, by architects AgwA (Brussels) and architecten jan de vylder inge vinck (Ghent) - AjdvivagwA, commissioned by the City of Charleroi.
It is awarded for its intelligent and precise transformation of an immense existing exhibition building, demonstrating how architecture can work with what is already there to unlock new spatial, social, and material possibilities.
Rather than replacing, it reactivates the place embracing constraints, engaging with the building's inherent qualities, and developing a bold yet resourceful approach that turns scarcity into opportunity and repair into a powerful design strategy.
