The Brussels-Capital Region finally has a legal inventory of its real estate heritage after three decades of efforts to bring this mechanism into effect. As a result, 41,144 properties and 3,197 trees will receive better protection as listed buildings.
The Brussels Government approved the creation of an inventory of the region's heritage, Ans Persoons, Brussels State Secretary for Town Planning and Heritage, confirmed on Monday. The inventories of architectural heritage and natural heritage – real databases containing thousands of historical and descriptive sheets – were purely scientific until today, but now they also have a legal framework, meaning their heritage value is confirmed by law.
The listed properties and trees are now subject to an advisory request in case of changes to the buildings, or an urban planning permit for all changes to the silhouette of the remarkable trees.
The main entrance of the Belgian National Bank building/ Credit: Belga/ Herwig Vergult
"After a wait of more than 30 years, the Region finally has a legal inventory of its built heritage that will legally protect more than 40,000 buildings and 3,000 remarkable trees from now on," she said. "This legal inventory also much better reflects the diversity and richness of our Brussels heritage, by protecting buildings across all 19 municipalities, and especially by adding 4,000 new buildings related to post-war heritage."
Examples of buildings and trees that are on the list include the National Bank building, built by Marcel Van Goethem in 1904, the home and personal studio of architect Maxime Brungfaut in Laeken, the Town hall and cultural centre of Auderghem as well as the London plane tree at Brugmann Hospital, the Pedunculate oak in Jette's Sacred Heart Park and the European beech in Watermael-Boitsfort.
