Aegidium

Aegidium is a historic events and entertainment venue located at 18 Parvis de Saint-Gilles in the municipality of Saint-Gilles, Brussels, Belgium. The building was erected in 1905 by architect Guillaume Segers and opened in December 1906 as the Diamant Palace, a complex comprising a ballroom and performance hall, by owner Léon Bejai-Dejonge. After his death it was purchased by Fernand Dierckx, who turned it into a dance venue under the name Panthéon-Palace. In 1929 it was acquired by Canon Simons and renamed Aegidium, a reference to Saint Giles (Aegidius in Latin), the patron saint of the municipality. Under the church's ownership it became a parish events and activities centre. In 1933 architect Léon Denis renovated the building, extending the ground floor, and it began operating as a cinema. From 1979 the Association des Œuvres paroissiales de Saint-Gilles ASBL, the non-profit owner, installed a day centre there, which closed in 1985 for renovation works. The building was classified as protected heritage by the Brussels government in 2006, and since 2018 a specialist restoration architecture firm has been working on its restoration. The project covers nearly 4,000 square metres and is entrusted to architect Francis Metzger, with support from the municipality of Saint-Gilles and mayor Charles Picqué, the Brussels-Capital Region (contributing 4 million euros), the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites, and the IRPA. Works originally scheduled to begin in October 2019 were still pending at the end of 2023. The building features a neoclassical facade and remarkable interiors, including mirror-covered walls, a winter garden, a café room, a Tabagerie, a Moorish-style performance hall (a rare surviving example of the Arabising variant of Art Nouveau), and a Louis XV-style ballroom dating from 1956.

Aegidium was built in 1905 by architect Guillaume Segers at 18 Parvis de Saint-Gilles in Saint-Gilles, Brussels. In December 1906, Léon Bejai-Dejonge, owner of the entire block, opened an architectural complex under the name Diamant Palace, comprising a ballroom and performance hall. After the owner's death, the Diamant Palace was purchased by Fernand Dierckx, who turned it into a dance venue called Panthéon-Palace. In 1929, Canon Simons acquired the building and renamed it Aegidium, a name that, according to the priest's intention, evoked the protection of Saint Giles (Aegidius in Latin), the traditional patron saint of the municipality. The Aegidium changed purpose and became a venue for festivities as well as various parish activities. In 1933, it was renovated by architect Léon Denis, who extended the ground floor. The Aegidium then became a cinema. In 1979, the Association des Œuvres paroissiales de Saint-Gilles ASBL, the non-profit owner of the Aegidium, installed a day centre there, which it had to close in 1985 due to renovation works. In 2006, the building was classified by the Brussels government; the owners sought renovation projects. A specialist architecture firm for the restoration of listed heritage was consulted for the restoration and has been handling it since 2018. The works, concerning a complex of nearly 4,000 square metres, were entrusted to architect Francis Metzger. The project is supported by the municipality of Saint-Gilles and its mayor Charles Picqué, the Brussels-Capital Region (which contributes 4 million euros to the financing), the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites, and the IRPA. The works, which were to begin in October 2019, were still pending at the end of 2023.

• 2019

  Works were scheduled to begin in October but were still pending at the end of 2023.

• 2018

  Specialist restoration architecture firm began handling restoration.

• 2006

  Classified as protected heritage by the Brussels government.

• 1985

  Day centre closed for renovation works.

• 1979

  Day centre installed by Association des Œuvres paroissiales de Saint-Gilles ASBL.

• 1956

  Louis XV-style ballroom created.

• 1933

  Renovated by architect Léon Denis; became a cinema.

• 1929

  Acquired by Canon Simons and renamed Aegidium.

• 1906

  Opened in December as Diamant Palace by Léon Bejai-Dejonge.

• 1905

  Building erected by architect Guillaume Segers.

A protected heritage venue of architectural and cultural significance in Brussels, undergoing restoration to regain its function as an events and performance space.

Product categories. Event venue · Performance hall · Ballroom · Cinema (former) · Parish activities centre (former)

1. 1Aegidium - Wikipediafr.wikipedia.org
2. 2Aegidium - Wikidatawikidata.org