September 13, 2025
On Sunday September 14, 2025, the Clarissen Monastery in Turnhout opened its doors for the first time during Open Monument Day. Visitors had the opportunity to discover this remarkable building by Atelier Carli Vanhout – Paul Schellekens & Assocs., a distinctive example of the Turnhout School, up close.
A First Step Towards a Vision for the Future
The day before, on Saturday September 13, an inspiring event was organised in the monastery around the future of this unique heritage. Heritage Noorderkempen, AR-TUR, the City of Turnhout and Modernism In the Kempen brought together residents, experts and interested parties to reflect on possible avenues for conservation and repurposing.
The program began with a guided tour led by Caroline Daemen (IOED Erfgoed Noorderkempen) and was followed by a screening of a documentary about the Centraal Beheer Building by Herman Hertzberger in Apeldoorn – an iconic office building that is now getting a second life thanks to innovative repurposing strategies.
This was followed by a panel discussion in which various voices shed light on the challenges and opportunities of the Clarissen Monastery:
- Stijn Adriaensens, Alderman for Urban Planning, City of Turnhout
- Edith Wouters, Artistic Coordinator AR-TUR
- Sven Grooten, Architect-Partner B-Architecten
- Laurens Jan ten Kate, Architect-Director at Architectuurstudio Herman Hertzberger (Amsterdam)
Heritage with a Future
The Clarissen Monastery is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a tangible witness to the modernist wave that put Turnhout on the international map from the 1960s onwards. The question therefore arises: how can this masterpiece of the Turnhout School gain new meaning for future generations?
In the coming months and years, this conversation will continue with residents, heritage partners, designers and policymakers. The goal: to preserve this valuable heritage and give it a new voice in the city of tomorrow.
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