The condition of the iconic Japanese Tower and the Chinese Pavilion (both in Laeken) has been deteriorating for years. Periodic calls to renovate the structures have so far been fruitless and stronger intervention may now be necessary.
Both unique buildings were built between 1901 and 1905 at the request of King Leopold II, who was rich from the exploitation of Congo’s natural resources under colonial occupation. They have both been listed and thus protected as heritage since 2019. But this has not prevented them from degrading, with both monuments in a decade-long state of deterioration.
"The situation is extremely worrying, even though these sites are listed. Allowing them to languish is unacceptable," said Brussels Secretary of State for Town Planning and Heritage Ans Persoons (Vooruit).
Credit: urban.brussels
An official report showed that part of the decorative ceiling and several ornaments have come loose. Damp has affected the parquet and wood is rotting in several areas.
No concrete action
Persoons has sent "several reminders" to Federal Secretary of State Mathieu Michel (MR), who is in charge in charge of the Régie des Bâtiments (a federal agency), which owns the buildings and is responsible for their preservation and renovation. However, she said that no progress has yet been made.
Persoons therefore ordered the regional administration urban.brussels to declare the Régie des Bâtiments at fault for the state of the buildings, arguing that a formal notice is the Brussels region's last lever to prevent the irrevocable damage to its heritage.
With the formal notice, the Region asks the Régie des Bâtiments to present "the measures it will take to fulfil its legal obligations of maintenance and preservation of a listed asset" within 10 days. Failure to do so means the region reserves the right to apply to the President of the Court of First Instance of Brussels for an injunction, which may oblige the Régie des Bâtiments to restore the property to its original state.
Credit: urban.brussels
"The renovation and upgrading of these heritage buildings must be started as soon as possible and become a priority of the next federal government," Persoons said.
Michel reacted by stating he found it "surprising" that Persoons would force the renovation of the Chinese Pavilion and the Japanese Tower in Laeken via a formal notice. "Especially as there are regular administrative and political exchanges between the Brussels Region and the Régie des Bâtiments about the preservation and renovation of these two buildings," said Michel, stating that such a meeting took place just last week.
He added that a personal meeting even took place between himself and Persoons. "So the Region is well and truly aware of the progress of these two projects."
He told Belga News Agency that renovation works on the Chinese pavilion can start soon as the dossier will be submitted to the Federal Council of Ministers at the end of April. A consultancy firm has just been taken on to "organise a contract to carry out the works" for the Japanese tower.
