Endangered industrial heritage: challenges and future – Panel discussion & exhibition (CNCI)
- conference
Serious TopicsSerious TopicsAs part of the 2026 European Heritage Days, this event forms part of a European initiative to safeguard and repurpose industrial heritage. Through a round-table discussion, it offers an exploration of the preservation, transformation and transmission of endangered industrial sites. The Gebléishal in Belval, included in Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered programme, is an emblematic example of heritage in transition. Based on this case, the event places the various stages in the life of an industrial site into perspective: abandonment, safeguarding, repurposing and reassignment. The round table brings together European and local experts in heritage, architecture and industrial memory. The discussions focus on the challenges of transformation and preservation, as well as contemporary forms of repurposing. At the same time, a visual display presents projects, models and research relating to the Gebléishal, placing the site within a European reflection on the future of industrial heritage. The event encourages dialogue between specialists and the public on the challenges of transmission and collective engagement.
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Friday, 16 October 2026 · 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Esch-Belval / Learning Center 2:00–2:20 p.m. — Opening City of Esch-sur-Alzette & CNCI Welcome and introduction: the role of industrial heritage in a city and a region undergoing transformation. 2:20–3:00 p.m. — European perspectives on industrial heritage Bartosz M. Walczak – TICCIH Florence Hachez-Leroy – CILAC European experiences and approaches to the safeguarding, protection, transformation, repurposing and transmission of industrial heritage. 3:00–3:45 p.m. — Transformation experiences: Île-de-France and Nantes Nicolas Pierrot – Île-de-France Region Olivier Absalon – Nantes Métropole Industrial heritage, territorial transformation, and the creation or preservation of identity in changing urban areas. 3:45–4:15 p.m. — Break & exhibition Projects, models and research relating to the Gebléishal. 4:15–5:15 p.m. — Round table: Preserving, transforming, repurposing Daisy Wagner – City of Esch-sur-Alzette AGORA Fonds du Logement / NeiSchmelz - IKO / Rout Lëns (Participation to be confirmed) Discussion on the concrete conditions for transforming and repurposing industrial heritage: uses, constraints, financing, project ownership and governance. 5:15–5:45 p.m. — The Gebléishal: industrial heritage in transition From safeguarding to a new perspective for the Gebléishal, included in Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered programme, and reflection on its place in a changing region. 5:45–6:00 p.m. — Conclusion: from safeguarding to the future Tom Becker – University of Luxembourg · LATI A territorial perspective on the discussions and an exploration of the challenges of cooperation, networking, and the relationship between individual projects and territorial development on a broader scale.
