"The Municipal Council commissioned the construction of Stadsfeestzaal or Festival Hall in 1905. The neo-Classical and eclectic design by master architect, Alexis Van Mechelen was completed in 1908 and provided for a large and small festival hall, shops and apartments. The Festival Hall was a popular location for parties, balls, exhibitions and fairs. Several generations of young people attended the graduation ceremony of the municipal schools in this hall.
In 2000 a fire destroyed this majestic building. In 2004 the reconstruction process started, with an eye for the many elaborate details and a new, modern section. The glass dome with gold leaf, the staircase, mosaics, wall reliefs, original oak parquet floors and other elements have been restored to their former glory. Since 2007, the public can walk through Festival Hall from one shopping street to another, from Meir to Hopland. You can shop till you drop in forty stores or 20,500 m2 of retail space."