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the historic site of the hooy
kaye museum
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The hooy kaye museum is housed in the sole surviving
17th century hay warehouse in the old port of Brussels.
Located on what was previously called Hooy kaye,
the name of the street was changed under Napoleon
some time around 1816 to Quai aux Pierres et Marbre.
The name was changed again in 1835 to Quai aux
Pierres de Taille et Marbre, and then simply to
Quai aux Pierres de Taille in 1869.
Hooy kaye (hay quay) was built because the existing
long dock of the port of Brussels was struggling
to cope with the growing influx of goods. On May
10, 1639 a real estate deal was brokered between
the Canal Administration and a mason called Henri
Faye. |
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Faye went on to build
two more docks with the necessary bridges and quays,
one on the Begynen Weyde (also called den Guillielmus)
and another one on the Begynen Vyver (also called the
Mestback). To expand the port, the City of Brussels
bought grassland from the beguinage hospital for an
annuity of 1,300 florins; a transaction that was agreed
upon by the archbishop of Mechelen in December 1639.
The Canal Administration also handed Faye the Begynen
Vyver, the wharf next to the Mestback and some land
next to the rampart that encircled the City. As payment
Faye received a life annuity of 1,500 florins and the
right to claim taxes (pontpenningen) over a period
of 39 years from anyone who built a house around the
new docks. In return, Henri Faye had to buy from the
City for 22,000 florins the Begynen Weyde and some
houses that were to be demolished.
The result was a vibrant new quarter where the Mestback
was hidden by a row of houses that extended as far
as the Vaartpoort.The hooy dock (in the 19th century
it was called bassin de l'entrepôt) was fronted
with two new quays, both called Hooy kaye. Joan Blaeu's
map of Brussels printed in 1649 shows that building
activity was already taking place around the Hooy kaye
and that the warehouse in which the hooy kaye museum
is located may have already been erected. Building
activity continued at a steady pace because by 1661
the City had found it worthwhile to buy back the privilege
of pontpenningen and paid approximately 3,000 florins
to Gilles Michiels, the second husband of Henri Faye's
widow.
Cultural Activities Past and Present
Henri Faye would never have imagined that his new quarter would provide the
ideal setting for activities other than the import of goods. Yet in 1682
one of the hay warehouses on the Hooy kaye was the location for an opera
initiated by an Italian called Petrucchi and a local called Fariseau. It
was a successful venue, drawing many noblemen until the Muntschouwburg opera
house was founded in 17004. A customs house was erected for the port in 1780,
during the Austrian period, on the site of the beestenmerckt. By 1847 the
building had become an arsenal for the Brussels garrison. In 1882 it became
a Flemish Theatre (Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg, Théâtre Flamand).
Restoration and Purpose
The building had fallen into sad neglect and was hardly recognizable as one
of those cheerful old warehouses when it was acquired in 2000. The
façade
was botched with cement and most of the windows and doors had been bricked
up during the 19th century. Worse still, the roof had been replaced with
leaking corrugated iron, the spout had been covered with at least ten layers
of zinc and pitch, creating a damp environment conducive to fungus and decay.
The floorboards were rotten because they had been coated with a layer of
concrete, bending most of the wooden roof and floor structure. Total renovation
was necessary.
From the start, the idea was to establish a museum
but reserve part of the building for storage and archiving.
The initial renovation setup was layed out by interior
architect Suzon Ingber. Most of the contemporary architectural
concept of the building as well as the furniture are
contributions made by the artist Oliver Kruse. The
hooy kaye museum is a privately funded, non-profit
organisation and its aim is to develop and promote
exhibitions of contemporary and antique art without
any limits. In general, the museum aims to host diverse
cultural activities as a platform for interacting with
artists.
Dr Alain Missorten
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