Palais de Justice, Brussels

Joseph Poelaert's Palais de Justice was built between 1866 and 1883 on the Galgenberg above the Marolles, and its scale is the point: a footprint of about twenty-six thousand square metres, larger than St Peter's in Rome, with a dome rising above a hundred metres and an entrance hall of enormous height, in a style that mixes Greco-Roman, Assyrian and Egyptian sources into something no one has ever quite classified. Its construction destroyed a large part of the Marolles below, which the quarter has not forgotten. Scaffolding went up for restoration in 1984 and much of it is still there, long enough that it has become a Brussels joke and, in its own right, a heritage-listed feature. The terrace beside it gives a wide view over the lower city.

History

The court stands on the Galgenberg, where criminals were hanged in the Middle Ages; Brussels' first courthouse, built by François Verly in 1818-1823 on the site of a Jesuit church in the Sablon district, soon decayed, and a new one was debated from 1837. In 1858 Justice Minister Victor Tesch proposed the present site, an international competition was held by royal decree on 27 March 1860, and in 1861 Tesch named the city architect Joseph Poelaert to draw the plans; the building rose between 1866 and 1883 on a ground area of 26,006 square metres, said to be the largest built in the 19th century, at a cost of about 50 million francs (Wikipedia, Palace of Justice, Brussels).

What you'll find

• A footprint larger than St Peter's - the sheer scale of the building.
• The entrance hall - a vast space open to the public.
• Permanent scaffolding - up since 1984 and now part of the landmark.
• The Poelaert terrace view - the lower town and the Marolles below.

When to go

Year round. One hour. The public halls open on weekdays during court hours; there is no access at weekends. The terrace outside is open at all times and best in the late afternoon.

What to expect

The exterior is largely hidden by scaffolding and has been for forty years. Interior access is limited to the entrance halls on working days. It is a functioning court with security checks. The building is grim and cold inside.

Nearby

The Marolles and its market are directly below; the Sablon lies north.

Key facts