The Palace of Justice in Brussels, which houses the sprawling judiciary system of Belgium, has been deteriorating for decades. André Demesmaeker, an architect for the Belgian government, fell in love with the building when he was asked to investigate a ceiling collapse in 2010. Demesmaeker discovered abandoned and moldering rooms, fungus, and corridors that reeked of urine and alcohol. He considered the Palace of Justice a treasure trove of history’s secrets, despite the pessimistic outlook of others who viewed it as an eyesore. In 2014, Demesmaeker was put in charge of overseeing the restoration of the colossal stone facade. The scaffolds surrounding the structure have been refurbished, and the construction of the facade is expected to begin soon. Work on the vast interior is currently being discussed. Demesmaeker hopes the exterior renovation will be completed by 2030, in time for Belgium’s bicentennial celebration.
The nine-block Palace of Justice, which covers the downtown area of Brussels, was once the world’s largest building when it opened in 1883. Today, it stands as a decaying monument to Belgium’s notorious bureaucracy. The country has three official languages, six parliaments, more than a dozen political parties, and a separatist movement. At times, the country went nearly two years without a functioning national government. Demesmaeker’s job as the project’s overseer would imply that he is a multilingual charmer able to navigate through political forces that want to push his project forward or swipe his budget, but he admitted to not being particularly good at languages and said he was often boggled about the layers of government. He considers the restoration project the job of a lifetime, given that the Palace of Justice’s original architect died several years before the palace’s completion.
Because the palace is in the city’s center, there’s only so much space to work with, which means, at any given time, only one of the four facades can be restored. Each facade restoration takes about two years, a timeline that can outlast budgets and political will. Every step involves having conversations and reaching compromises with judges and administrators of several courts, including the Belgian supreme court and the country’s highest criminal court. French- and Flemish-speaking lawyers, who sometimes refuse to share the building’s library, also need to be consulted.
Despite the obstacles, Demesmaeker’s love for the Palace of Justice, in particular, the layered parallel universes of the palace, makes him ideal for the moment. He has rescued many objects that workers have consigned to the trash heap, establishing collections of other interesting debris that he keeps in his home or office, much to the dismay of his sons. But the clock is ticking, and the list of what needs to be done keeps growing. An ecosystem of butterfly bushes and elderberries has taken root inside the stone walls and must be removed, graffiti needs cleaning, and another ceiling recently collapsed. Can Demesmaeker achieve his deadline of 2030? He hopes to finish before retirement.
