A new tunnel links the stage and the workshop of La Monnaie
The tunnel under Leopold Street, that links the La Monnaie’ stage and workshop, is completed. Until this moment, the two buildings, located on the two sides of Leopold Street, were separated by 100 meters, making the transport of sets tedious. Now, the actors have direct access to sets and costumes.
The tunnel was one of the many projects supported by Beliris, the cooperation agreement between the Brussels Region and the federal state in order to reinforce the role of Brussels as the Belgian and European capital. “No more complex transportation schedules, loads and unloads, and tow truck rides at peak times. “With an average of 250 m3 of scenery to transport for each production, it is the entire organization of shows that benefits from this new infrastructure”, Beliris said in a statement.
In addition, the construction of a roof extension to store the costumes was announced. An extension of 350 m2 on two levels on the roof of the Ateliers du Théâtre, which light structure, made of metal beams, will be invisible from the road. The construction will begin in mid-October.
As if that wasn’t enough, during the works, the construction team made a discovery. “We knew there was an archaeological heritage because there was a Dominican cloister in the 15th century,” says Patricia Vervenne, project manager for Beliris.”As soon as the tombs and ancient foundations were discovered, we informed the archaeology department of the Brussels Region, with whom we worked closely so that they could excavate and record everything”.
