Louis Roelandt

Infobox Architect


name=Louis Roelandt
nationality=Belgian,
birth_date=3 January 1786
birth_place=Nieuwpoort, Belgium
death_date=5 April 1864
death_place=Ghent, Belgium
practice_name=
significant_buildings=Law Courts of Ghent (Justitiepaleis)

Vlaamse Opera in Ghent
Aula Magna of the Ghent University
significant_projects=
awards=

Louis Roelandt or "Lodewijk Joseph Adriaan Roelandt" with his full Dutch name, was a Belgian architect that played an important role in the evolution of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Classical architecture in Belgium.

During the period that Belgium belonged to the First French Empire, Roelandt, who had studied at the Académie of Ghent, was selected to continue his education at the prestigious "Ecole Spéciale d'Architecture" in Paris. Like his compatriot Tilman-François Suys he was a pupil of Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine.

In 1818 he was appointed as architect to the city of Ghent were he would realise the majority of his future projects. Gradually Roelandt moved away from the severe Empire Style in which he had been trained, and introduced more and more Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque features into his designs. He also built churches in an early Gothic Revival style, such as the Sint-Annakerk in Ghent.

Works

* Clubhouse of the "Cercle Liberal", Geraardsbergen, (1812)
* Aula Magna of Ghent University (1819-1826)
* Church, Saint-Aldegondis, in Deurle (1829, design)
* Town Hall of Aalst (1825-1830)
* "Casino" of the city of Ghent, (1835-1837) (demolished)
* Town Hall of Ninove (1836)
* "Grand Théâtre" in Ghent, (today Vlaamse Opera), a richly decorated complex containing an auditorium, concert hall, ballroom and foyer, (1840).
* Church, Our Lady,Sint-Niklaas (1844, design)
* Ballroom "La Concorde", Ghent, (1844) (demolished)
* Law Courts of Ghent (Justitiepaleis) (1836-1846)
* Aula or "Academiezaal" of the "Klein-Seminarie" (school for priests) in Sint-Truiden (1843-1846)
* Church, Our Lady, in Sint-Truiden, renovations and extensions (tower), (1847-1853)
* Church, Our Lady, in Doel (1851-1854)
* Church, Saint Anna and Saint Catherine, in Ghent (1853-1869)

References

* P.Lootens, J.Decavele, L.De Clercq, B.Doucet, "De Opera van Gent: het Grand Théâtre van Roelandt, Philastre en Cambon: architectuur, interieurs, restauratie", Tielt, Lannoo, 1993.

External links

* [http://architectuurfocus.ugent.be/default.aspx?ref=ADAH&lang=NL Research on the architecture of Louis Roelandt by the Ghent University, (scroll down for the English text)]

* [http://www.vlaamseopera.be/buildings_gent.orb The "Grand Théâtre" of Ghent on www.vlaamseopera.be]