Belgium – Church construction work – Restauration de la Basilique Notre-Dame de Basse-Wavre

The present works concern the restoration of the exterior envelope as well as the interior of the Basilica Notre-Dame de Basse-Wavre. The objective of this restoration is to ensure the longevity of the building while preserving its current characteristics and its various archaeological strata. The works also include the rationalisation and bringing up to standard of the technical installations so that the Basilica can continue to be used as a place of worship. The contract is divided into two lots:

Lot 1 - Restoration of the exterior and interior envelope: This lot includes the general site installation, roofs, facades, exterior joinery and interior works

Lot 2 - Restoration of the stained glass: This lot includes all interventions specific to the stained glass

The Basilica Notre-Dame de Basse-Wavre is classified as a Monument by Royal Decree of 08/03/1938.

Intervention Philosophy: The Basilica Notre-Dame de Basse-Wavre as we observe it today is the result of modifications and expansions spanning eight consecutive centuries with a major transformation in the 18th century, presumably by the court architect Guillaume De Bruyne. This last transformation irrevocably changed the morphology of the building so that it is no longer possible to return to a previous state. The works carried out in the 18th century were marked by a desire to unify the church with the aim of greater harmony in the reading of the building so as to see it as a whole and no longer as the addition of elements from different eras (construction of the south collateral based on the north collateral, west facade worked symmetrically, etc.). The building nonetheless retains in its masonry the subtle traces of its evolution over the centuries as so many successive strata. Each renovation/transformation has added a new layer with the means and style of its time. Our intervention philosophy is in line with a desire to preserve these various successive strata as both historical and archaeological testimony to the evolution of the building. We will opt for a restoration that respects the materials and the current morphology of the building with its irregularities and variations. Specific attention will be paid to ancient works, their typology, their characteristics, their identity in order to propose interventions that enhance them for future generations. More specifically, four criteria frame our philosophy of restoration and renovation for the Basilica. These criteria serve as a guiding thread to determine the options for intervention on the various works. For each new option to be taken, we will check that it is in line with this philosophy so as to achieve unity in the interventions to be envisaged. The four criteria for the Basilica Notre-Dame de Basse-Wavre are as follows:

The preservation/safeguarding of the building in its current state (no return to a previous state, no demolitions), preservation of materials and mode of construction, safeguarding of the different archaeological strata/layers;

The longevity/stability of the proposed interventions by restoring the works according to the current situation and, if necessary, implementing specific contemporary protections or improvements with a view to creating the optimal conditions for preservation and durability and this, in respect of the heritage values of the constituent elements;

The optimisation of costs by intervening on priority issues that may have an impact on the longevity/conservation of the works but without reconstructing the missing elements or those with purely aesthetic interest;

The guarantee of being able to use the building according to its current use and in an optimal way.

The proposal therefore aims at a 'conservation-restoration' in the sense that we seek to restore the structural and functional properties (of a work, of materials) necessary for the durable/permanent conservation of the building. The restoration of the structural and functional properties of a work or of materials is done either by replacement/repair/consolidation, or by the implementation of a protection.