Medieval Brussels
Brussels has preserved some fragments of its first fortified walls from the medieval period. At the foot of the Sablon, along the Boulevard de l'Empereur, are the remains of the Tour Anneessens, which enabled soldiers to defend the Rue Haute. This part of the surrounding wall includes several well-preserved loopholes. Not far from the Place de Dinant, enjoy a walk along a section of the wall, at the end of which you'll discover the Tour de Villers, or Tour Saint-Jacques. Finally, behind the church of Sainte-Catherine, you'll find the Tour Noire (13th century), which the façade of the Novotel bypasses, at the express request of the Burgomaster, in a bizarre clash of styles and eras.
Another medieval treasure lies hidden beneath Place Royale: the remains of the Palais de Coudenberg, razed in 1731 and replaced by the Palais Royal built in 1780. On a guided underground tour, you'll discover the kitchens and cellars of the castle's main building, and the famous Aula Magna ceremonial hall where Charles V (1500-1558) was named king at the age of 15, unaware that he would abdicate within these very walls 40 years later.
The Romanesque art that developed in Wallonia, at the crossroads of French and Germanic influences (Carolingian and Ottonian), was known as the Mosan art of the Meuse region. TheÉglise Saint-Nicolas, adjacent to the Palais de la Bourse, is one of the first four churches in Brussels. It was built in 1125, but after its destruction in the 14th century, its heart, dating from 1381, is now the oldest part.
In the 12th century, Romanesque art was superseded by Gothic. Brabantine Gothic and Tournaisian Gothic are two variants specific to Belgium and the Netherlands. In 1238, a Franciscan monastery, known as the Récollets, was established on the banks of the Senne, next to thechurch of Saint-Nicolas and the Grand-Place. For archaeologists, this strategic location underlines the importance of these monks in the Brussels of yesteryear. During roadworks to renovate the Bourse in 1988, the ruins of Bruxella 1238 revealed their treasures, which can now be explored under a glass roof.
The 15th century saw the emergence of the Flamboyant Gothic style, characterized by its fanciful ornamentation, as can be seen on the Gothic section of the Hôtel de Ville, which dates back to 1421 for its left wing and the base of the tower. The right wing and the upper part of the tower with its spire were completed in 1449 and 1455 respectively. The tower is not a belfry, which explains its light structure: it didn't need to support heavy bells. It consists of a square base topped by a lantern tower built by Jan van Ruysbroeck (1293-1381). The ogival portal is surmounted by a tympanum depicting the archangel Saint-Michel surrounded by five saints, including Saint-Géry who, as legend has it, built a chapel at the origin of the town. The facade features some curious asymmetries: the portal is not aligned with the rest of the tower, while the left wing has three bays and five arcades more than the right, and the first-floor windows are different in the two wings. It is said that the architect, appalled by his grotesque error, committed suicide on discovering the finished building. These variations can surely be explained by the three decades separating the work on the wings actually carried out by different architects.
From baroque to neo-classical, between Italian and French influences
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Gothic architecture took on Italian influences. Baroque also made its appearance at this time, introduced by the Jesuits. In Flanders, it took on a particular aspect that came to be known as the "Flemish Baroque style", characterized by the profusion of interior and façade decoration. After the bombardment of Brussels by the French in 1695, the houses on the Grand-Place were rebuilt in this style, with its gilding and opulent forms.
In the 18th century, after the exuberance of the Baroque, under Austrian domination, Belgian architecture took on a rational, somewhat dull neoclassical appearance, which you'll find in the buildings surrounding Place Royale or Place des Martyrs. The new wings of the Hôtel de Ville, which form its inner courtyard, were added in 1707 by architect and sculptor Corneille van Nerven (1669-1714) on the ruins of the Halle au Drap, and built in the neoclassical Louis XIV style. Far more austere than the Gothic facade, their sobriety stands out. In the inner courtyard, a cobblestone star marks the geographical center of Brussels.
Art nouveau and Art Deco
After Belgium gained independence in 1830, the new nation wanted to prove that its capital could compete with other major European cities. It embarked on major urban planning projects and the construction of imposing, extravagant public buildings. Examples include the chic Galeries Saint-Hubert, glass-topped shopping arcades adorned with numerous sculptures, and the Greco-Roman-style Palais de Justice in Brussels. The desire to show off one's wealth and power is reflected in private architecture: mansions reflect the country's prosperity, designed in a sober neoclassical style or full of fantasy. The period was also characterized by the blending of genres within a single building, as in the case of the Eglise Sainte-Catherine, which displays both Gothic forms and Baroque decoration, while also drawing inspiration from 16th-century French churches such as Saint-Eustache in Paris.
The late 19th century saw the emergence of Art Nouveau, also known as Jugendstil, represented in architecture by Victor Horta (1861-1947), Paul Hankar (1959-1901) and Henry Van de Velde (1863-1957). Unlike Gothic or neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau favors curved lines and a naturalistic approach. Motifs include flowers, plants, trees, insects and animals. The second objective of this movement was to make art accessible to all. The furniture lines designed by Serrurier-Bovy (1858-1910), such as his "Silex" kit chair, are emblematic. These objects, often made of wood, were intended for the homes of the working classes.
Victor Horta's Hotel Tassel (1893) became the world's first synthesis of Art Nouveau in architecture. The architect broke with the classic layout of the Brussels mansion, characterized by a succession of living rooms where the salon was right in the middle of the building, deprived of daylight. So he chose to place the entrance door, traditionally on the side, right in the middle of the façade, sacrificing the center of the house for a skylight. The curved bow window façade incorporates all the rich elements of Art Nouveau, in a blend of white stone, glass and metal. Another magnificent example is the building of the former Old England store, now occupied by the Musical Instruments Museum. Opposite the Calder fountain, in the heart of the Mont des Arts, this is an Art Nouveau treasure trove and the work of architect Paul Saintenoy (1862-1952) in 1899. Its wrought-iron turret completes the jewel-like glass façade.
New materials such as wood, stone, steel and glass were used to implement this democratization. They also fostered architectural evolution, enabling the construction of ever taller buildings.
After the First World War, Art Deco naturally took over from Art Nouveau. Reinforced concrete and compressed glass came into use. Horta also followed the fashions of the time, with the Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar) and the Central Station. One of the finest examples of Belgian Art Deco is surely the majestic Villa Empain, with its straighter, more angular lines, wrought-iron details and various decorative elements. The materials are similar: marble, polished granite, bronze, wrought iron, stained glass and precious woods. Located on the prestigious avenue Franklin Roosevelt, it was designed by Swiss architect Michel Polak (1885-1948). Fully restored, it is now open to the public and houses the Centre d'art et de dialogue des Cultures d'Orient et d'Occident.
Modernism, post-modernism and contemporary architecture
The glass and concrete tower of the Wielemans-Ceuppens brewery, now home to WIELS, a renowned center for contemporary art, is typical of Belgian modernism. This is the building housing the third brewhouse, built in 1931. Its imposing reinforced concrete structure is embellished with Art Deco motifs, a successful blend that heralds the style's gradual decline. Its architect, Adrien Blomme (1878-1940), is also known for the house that bears his name (Maison Blomme, 1928).
The KANAL Foundation, the Brussels branch of the Centre Pompidou, is soon to open its doors in the former Citroën garage, characteristic of the functionalist architecture of the 1930s, with its immense curtain walls topped by a cornice. An association of three international firms has been chosen to rehabilitate this heritage site and transform it into a museum, while restoring the elegance and grace of its early days.
Among the post-war buildings, theAtomium has become the symbol of modern Brussels, built for the 1958 Universal Exhibition and whose shape represents an iron atom enlarged 165 billion times. The huge, cruciform Berlaymontis one of the emblems of the infamous European Quarter, completed in 1969. The whole district is characterized by a marked postmodernism. Its layout and large, austere facades conceal references to the Art Deco style that makes the European capital so unique. The district is fiercely criticized by local residents and Brussels residents in general, who rightly find it unpleasant and untidy. More recently, the Europa building has added a touch of originality to the drabness that surrounds the Commission. This luminous cube covered with a perforated structure, again evoking Art Deco ornamentation, houses a giant egg-shaped sandblasted glass amphora. Belgian firm Philippe Samyn and Partners won the tender for this colossal project, which has housed the European Council since 2016.
The Square-Brussels Meeting Center, designed by Brussels-based A2RC, replaces the former Palais des Congrès. This semi-buried glass cube is reminiscent of the Louvre Pyramid. A gently sloping ramp provides access to the building's interior, as you sink beneath the Mont des Arts.
Finally, don't forget to visit the Musée du Design for its varied temporary exhibitions, often of a historical nature, but above all its collection of furniture and plastic objects!
