Guided tour: Architecture Walk, Modernist Mechelen

Modernism arose as a reaction to previous architectural styles. The broad lines of modernist architecture were:

• overall simplification, both in facades and the layout/floor plan;
• the application of new building techniques;
• the use of new materials.

Between approximately 1875 and 1940 various sub-styles developed, ranging from outspoken to more reserved forms of art nouveau and art deco, in addition to pure modernist architecture. The period extended to the 1960s, embracing the Expo-style among others.

Discover modernist architecture in Mechelen with these two guided tours:

• A walk in the city centre starting and finishing at the Schepenhuis;
• A walk outside the city walls (in the station area and along Leuvensevaart), where the main attractions are works by Mechelen’s most important modernist architect, Jos Chabot.

TIP: Combine your city tour with a visit to the Winter Garden of the Ursuline Nuns. You can find more info here.