In Belgium, the new Gare de Mons railway station has been completed. Its construction took many years, but it was worth the wait. The building immediately became one of the most original and distinctive buildings in the entire country. Spanning over the tracks, the glass structure designed by Santiago Calatrava creates a space with a unique form, integrating two areas of the city and concluding a years-long process of modernising the local infrastructure.
Gare de Mons – light-based architecture
The station as it stands today was opened to passengers in December 2024, with the grand opening combined with the Mons en Lumières festival in early 2025. The most important element of the entire development is the 165-metre-long hall that runs over all tracks. It organises service, communication and retail space that leads travellers towards the platforms and the two main parts of Mons. The structure is based on a regular rhythm of white steel ribs. This way of shaping the form is associated with Calatrava’s other projects, where movement, light and dynamic arches create architecture in a sculptural spirit. The station thus functions as a transfer point and as an urban walkway connecting Place Léopold with Place des Congrès and the Grands Prés development.
Functions and scale of Mons station
The Gare de Mons acts as an extensive transport hub, bringing together different modes of transport and urban services in one place. The layout includes covered platforms with lengths suitable for long trainsets and an extensive bus area. The service area includes numerous retail outlets, and office space for commercial tenants has also been located in the vicinity. Underground car parks have been planned on both sides of the tracks to facilitate access for motorists and a large bicycle area has been created. This is complemented by an extensive system of lifts, ramps and guides to facilitate the movement of people with different needs. This layout makes it possible to handle around 190 trains per day, with more than 57,000 users per week. In 2025, the new Gare de Mons was awarded the Prix Versailles.
The road to the realisation of the Gare de Mons
The beginning of the history of the station in Mons dates back to 2006. At that time, a competition was held in which Calatrava’s concept based on a vision of a light glass structure running over the tracks was the winner. The project promised to change the image of the small town. Construction work began in 2013 after the previous station was demolished and temporary passenger facilities created. In the following years, the investment encountered problems. The completion date originally planned for 2015 proved unrealistic, and the station could not become part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations programme. Between 2016 and 2022, work repeatedly slowed down. Technological and organisational difficulties arose, and disputes between contractors and the investor further extended the schedule. In 2022, the Court of Auditors drew attention to deficiencies in the financial supervision of the investment.
Construction costs of the Gare de Mons
The first estimates hovered around €35-37 million and included the reconstruction of the station and the construction of a footbridge. The scope of the project gradually expanded. The scale of the construction changed, and subsequent phases required additional expenditure. However, projections valued at €200-330 million did not prove definitive. According to SNCB documents, the total cost of the investment reached around €480 million. This is many times higher than the original assumptions and it is this amount that appears in official Belgian settlement materials.
Santiago Calatrava and his project
The residents of Mons have received the opening of the station with a sense of relief after years of makeshift solutions. Although there are numerous questions about the amount of expenditure incurred and future operating costs, the facility itself is being received positively. The authorities stress that the station can support the further urban development of the city. It is Calatrava’s second major station in Belgium after Liège Guillemins. Mons functions today as an example of transport architecture based on structure, rhythm and light. This kind of composition reinforces the idea of creating a new urban axis and space that is accessible to residents on both sides of the city.
The Mons railway station as an icon
After many years of difficult construction, the Gare de Mons has begun to fulfil its function as the region’s main transfer point and as a space that integrates the urban fabric. The distinctive white ribbed structure has become part of Mons’ identity and one of the most noticeable public buildings created in Belgium in recent years.
Designed by Santiago Calatrava
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