Heritage brochure - Ravenstein Gallery

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the ravenstein gallery, a vertical link in the city

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rigin

A covered walkway no doubt lesser known than those at the bottom of the City, and more frequented by its habitual users, mainly commuters. It is also more recent than those walkways.

The current gallery occupies the site of the former “Palais Granvelle”, a private Renaissance-style mansion built in the middle of the 16th century, a residential quarter which the hotel Ravenstein is the last vestige of. It is worth remembering and imagining: the area is, historically, the area of power and of the court, which was set up, and still exists today, slightly further up, near place Royale and place des Palais. The lower entrance of the Ravenstein gallery, the one beside rue Cantersteen, is located on the site of the former courtyard, which is a 19th-century addition from when the Université libre de Bruxelles was founded. Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle is not just anybody: a cardinal and diplomat from Franche-Comté, a territory which was then subject to the German empire, he served as advisor to the emperor Charles V then his son Philip II and later to Margaret of Parma, Governor of the Netherlands. Nevertheless the Palais Granvelle was not created from nothing, and probably dues its existence to the combining of two private mansions of a certain prestige, properties owned by high-ranking civil servants of the State.

The Ravenstein Gallery was built between 1954 and 1958 by “L’Immobilière Electrobel”, Electrobel department, “Compagnie Générale d’Entreprises Electriques et Industrielles”, predecessor to Electrabel, historic leader in the energy market in Belgium. The plans were designed by the architects Alexis and Philippe Dumont. Alexis also constructed a building for Shell, further down, co-designed by Marcel Van Goethem and finished in 1934.

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rchitecture and decor

Although the structure of the building is constructed of reinforced concrete, when walking through the building the general impression is one of light— one of Horta’s guiding principles— , omnipresent thanks to many glass roof surfaces.

The architects chose the international stule, emphasising minimalism and regularity, using materials like concrete and class— in the latter case, often in the form of bricks.

For this duo of architects the main difficulty was the difference in ground level of almost ten metres. The designers found the solution by digging a light well —a reference to the ancient medieval wells installed there long ago— made up of a momumental staircase surrounded by a circular gallery.

In the middle of the circle — 23 metres in diameter— , and covered by an imposing cupola built of concrete and glass bricks, there was until 2006 a 3.5-metre high ceramic fountain designed by Olivier Strebelle, and built in 1955. It represented the Myth of Europa, an important iconographic topic, referring to the seduction of princess Europa by Zeus, who, in the form of a bull, carries her on his back. The reference to the big treaties of the 50s, founding Europe, is also present. The sculpture was removed after being vandalised.

After the fire at the governors’ palace (location of the Coudenberg, place Royale) in 1731 our palace housed the offices of the Privy Council - the main governing body of the Netherlands, competent in judicial and legislative matters - and the Finance Council. The French regime at the end of the 18th century turned it into a military hospital before housing an academy (1827(, then from 1842 to 1928, the Université libre de Bruxelles.

Also of note are the artistic touches interspersed around the inside of the gallery: ceiling paintings and mosaics by the Cantersteen entrance, in shimmering colours.

Unfortunately the site did not survive the construction of the Nord-Midi railway junction, which involved the building of the central station and the development of the surroundings. Planned since before the First World War, this new station would not be inaugurated until 1952.

Between 1920 and 1930 this quarter was, in some ways, the preserve of Victor Horta. He worked on three contiguous urban pieces: the Centre for Fine Arts, the Central Station, and a project aimed at developing the plot occupied by the Ravenstein gallery. Only the latter would not come to fruition, but it would inspire the project designed by the Dumonts.

The gallery was declared a heritage site in 2009.

© KIK-IRPA, Brussels

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tinerary and detours

In parallel to the Mont des Arts, this gallery is an important pedestrian link which links the upper and lower city.

Originally it was conceived as a shopping arcade containing 81 stores, a cinema, and 12,000 m² of office space.

The gallery comprises 4 floors: the upper floors mainly house offices. There are four office entrances, situated near the bettom (Cantersteen side). In the basement levels there are parking spaces and a petrol station.

«From the garages, drivers access their workplace directly by elevator. In current and future circumstances, these provisions are likely to greatly ease the serious problem of urban traffic facing the heart of Brussels, particularly in a busy business district like Cantersteen has become, a central stop for main railway lines and the country’s aerial routes. « Le Soir, 14 February 1958 The medieval well mentioned above, «Grote Pollepel» meaning «Big Ladle». It was really a reservoir, collecting the excess water of the upper city and providing it to the lower city, forming various fountains, one of them notably surfacing in the courtyard of the City Hall in Grand-Place. In 1956, during construction of the gallery, it was still being considered whether to leave this monument in situ, however it was condemned to a garage.

Eventually the decision was made to transfer it to the park of Egmont Palace, where it can still be seen today in a corner of the park.

The Ravenstein Gallery was completed just in time for Expo 58. The first universal exhibition following the Second World War, the event should be seen as one of the big drivers of the modernisation works aimed at giving the capital a more contemporary aspect. It was not limited to the exhibition site (the Heysel), but rather to the whole city centre.

www.visit.brussels copyright: Archives de la Ville de Bruxelles