Belfry of Lille

About

The belfry of Lille City Hall, inaugurated in 1932, is the highest civil belfry in Europe. The construction project was the result of the destruction of the former city hall during the First World War. It is joined to the city hall and forms an architectural ensemble both massive for the city hall, and fine and slender for its belfry; the set was designed by architect Émile Dubuisson.

For reasons of land availability and political choice, the building was built in the former Saint-Sauveur district, slightly decentralized from the city centre of the time. The belfry is made of red brick and concrete "sculpted stone way" mixing Art Deco and neo-flammande architecture, the red brick responding to the green of the plane trees surrounding the building. This modern belfry does not contain bells or chimes.

It peaked at 104 m in height, thus asserting for the time the political and commercial power of the city after the destructions of World War I. The belfry of Lille is also the highest municipal building in France. This site, classified as a historical monument and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site...