Urban.brussels has issued planning permission for the first phase of a complete restoration of the facades of the Palace of Justice. It concerns the restoration of the front of the building, the lighting of the facades, adjustments to the honorary square and the installation of an ornamental fence to secure access to the building.
This is reported by Brussels Secretary of State for Urbanism and Heritage Pascal Smet and Federal Secretary of State for the Buildings Agency Mathieu Michel.
For the facade, the intention is to carry out a heritage restoration in which the existing stones are preserved or restored as much as possible, it sounds.
In addition, the issued permit also provides for the restoration and repainting of all kinds of joinery.
With one exception, the doors and windows are in good condition and will therefore be preserved and restored. As far as the windows are concerned, various new types of glazing will be chosen.
Lighting Plan
In addition, to better secure the Palace of Justice and to limit the number of entrances, a new fence will be placed, which was inspired by the disappeared historic fence.
The works also include a redesign of the honorary square. In the first place, these works must solve the waterproofing problems, secure the area around the Palace of Justice and install handrails on the stairs.
Finally, the Palace of Justice will also be illuminated scenographically from the outside, as framed in the Lighting Plan approved in 2017 by the Brussels government.
The works would start in the summer, “within a few weeks”, says a spokesman for the Buildings Agency.
“We are taking another important step towards a Justice Palace without scaffolding, and this within the foreseen period,” said State Secretary Michel, who also has a promise in store. “It is intended that the Palace of Justice will be completely free of scaffolding by 2030, the year in which Belgium celebrates its 200th anniversary.”
This article is originally published on bruzz.be