PALACE OF JUSTICE OF BRUSSELS

Description

Essentials about the Palace of Justice of Brussels in brief

The Palace of Justice is one of the most prominent buildings on the Brussels skyline. Perched at the junction between the Upper and Lower Towns, the bombastic structure is already visible from afar. Its monumental dimensions of 160 meters in length, 150 meters in width and 116 meters in height, as well as a total area of 26,000 square meters, make the Palace of Justice in Brussels the largest of its kind in the whole of Europe. So much gigantomania must at least be immortalized in a photo.

The history of the Palace of Justice of Brussels

In the 19th century, monumental palaces were built in many European cities for the supreme courts, most of which conceptually followed the model of the Palais de Justice in Paris. The Brussels Palace of Justice is also one of these mammoth European court buildings from the century before last.

Planning for the Palace of Justice began just a few years after the founding of Belgium in 1831. The building was intended to be both a symbol of the rule of law of the new state entity and to serve as a national symbol for the young state of Belgium. The financing was generously subsidized by King Leopold II. The architect Joseph Poelaert was commissioned with the construction. Due to the gigantic dimensions of the Palace of Justice, it took 17 years from the laying of the foundation stone in 1866 to the completion of the building. The building housed all of Brussels’ judicial authorities, including Belgium’s supreme court. Today, the courthouse houses the Belgian Court of Cassation.

The location and architecture of the Palace of Justice of Brussels

Due to its exposed location on Gallows Hill at the transition between the Upper and Lower Towns and its monumental dimensions, the Palace of Justice is one of the most defining buildings on the Brussels skyline. Even the construction of the monumental building was highly controversial, as its realization required the demolition of Brussels’ historic Marollen district.

Even today, the Palace of Justice is one of the most controversial buildings in Brussels. For years, the building has been dilapidated and in need of renovation. The domed tower has been scaffolded for more than 25 years. Numerous halls of the palace are no longer usable due to structural damage, which is why several justice departments have already had to leave the building. The preservation of the Palace of Justice as a Belgian national symbol is politically highly controversial.

The Palace of Justice of Brussels is a building of superlatives. The rectangular ground plan is 160 meters long and 150 meters wide. The imposing dome rises to a height of almost 98 meters on the central tower structure, giving the palace a total height of 116 meters. With an area of 26,000 square meters, the Palace of Justice of Brussels is the largest of its kind in Europe and even significantly larger than St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (though it does not reach its dome height).

The building has eight courtyards, 27 courtrooms and 245 other rooms. The impressive reception and distribution hall, which is entered through the main entrance upon entering the building, is 3,600 square meters in size, including galleries and staircases, and 97.5 meters high. The floor is decorated with a large wind rose mosaic in the center.