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THE RESTORATION of an EXCEPTIONAL DECORATIVE ENVIRONMENT (© HHU, 2010) (© Utopix, M

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THE RESTORATION of an EXCEPTIONAL DECORATIVE ENVIRONMENT (© HHU, 2010) (© Utopix, M SPECIAL EDITION 2018 NIO M O UN IM D R T IA A L • P • W L THE RESTORATION OF AN EXCEPTIONAL O A I R D L D N H O E M R I E TA IN G O E • PATRIM DECORATIVE ENVIRONMENT United Nations La Grand-Place, Brussels Educational, Scientific and inscribed on the World Cultural Organization Heritage List in 1998 The facades of the Grand Place FUTURE OUTLOOK Flowertime 2015 Grand Place. View from top of scaffolding during work on the façades of houses 1 to 7 (© HHU, 2015). THE GRAND PLACE MANAGEMENT PLAN La Maison des Brasseurs/Het Brouwerhuis. Detail of gable with gilded bronze statue of Charles of Lorraine (© Utopix, M. Ploton, 2018). The Grand Place in Brussels was Natural Heritage adopted in 1972. sites: “Each nominated property [for included on the UNESCO World These requirements call for the inclusion on the World Heritage List] Heritage List in December 1998. At implementation of a management should have an appropriate man- the same time, the area surround- plan, based on an accurate sched- agement plan (…) which must spec- ing it, commonly known as the “Ilot ule of condition, enabling any prob- ify how the Outstanding Universal Sacré” or “Sacred Island”, was des- lems affecting the properties to be Value of the property should be pre- ignated a buffer zone. identified. The resulting report then served. The purpose of a manage- serves as a basis for action plans ment system is to ensure the effec- This international recognition and restoration and repair work, tive protection of the nominated prompted the City of Brussels to in addition to the establishment property for present and future gen- develop a series of studies and to of future priorities and necessary erations. An effective management initiate an extensive campaign to budgets. This is to ensure the proper system depends on the type, char- restore the façades of the houses, conservation and protection of the acteristics and needs of the nomi- which is the focus of this publication. monuments, and respect for their nated property and its cultural and authenticity and integrity, as well natural context. (…) They may incor- While this international endorse- as the values for which they were porate traditional practices, existing ment is remarkably encouraging, it recognised by the World Heritage urban or regional planning instru- also necessitates the special man- Committee. ments (…)”1 agement of the properties con- cerned and of their buffer zone, The UNESCO guidelines specify that When the Grand Place in Brussels in accordance with the require- the primary objective of a manage- was included on the World Heritage ments of the Convention concerning ment plan is to ensure the long- List, the requirement for a man- the Protection of World Cultural and term conservation of world heritage agement plan did not yet apply. In THE RESTORATION EXCEPTIONALTHE AN OF DECORATIVE ENVIRONMENT | SPECIAL EDITION – 2018 2018 – SPECIAL EDITION Photo of the Grand Place taken by a drone (© Utopix, D-ms, 2018). BRUSSELS HERITAGE 137 FTHUET UGRERAND OUTLOOK PLACE MANAGEMENT PLAN order to comply with the prescrip- strategic development for the con- The historical centre of Brussels is tions of the 2011 “World Heritage servation and promotion of the site both the most valuable and the most Guidelines”, the City of Brussels and its buffer zone. It has now been fragile element of the city’s urban took the initiative to establish a updated for a further six-year period fabric. Protecting it is a daunting management plan for the area, in (2015-2021)3. challenge; the public authorities collaboration with the Monuments alone have the resources to meet and Sites Directorate - Brussels It also allows the management of this by implementing a coherent Planning and Heritage. the site to be planned in an optimal wide-scale policy. They must there- manner and serves as a guidance fore assume their responsibilities This plan provides an overview of all tool for strategies that are yet to be with determination and sensitivity. of the actions and projects devel- developed. oped over the last twenty years both by the City of Brussels and by the In addition to basic measures for Brussels-Capital Region, the two heritage protection and the restora- NOTES institutions responsible for pro- tion of monuments, and in response tecting the values that have enabled to specific issues raised by the man- 1. Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World these properties to obtain interna- agement of the Grand Place and the Heritage Convention, United Nations tional recognition2. buffer zone surrounding it, the City Educational, Scientific and Cultural of Brussels implemented a series of Organisation, Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the By bringing together all the actions tools to achieve the goals set by the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and projects underway in the zone it plan. These include the creation of UNESCO. was possible to structure the man- a monitoring committee and a new 2. City of Brussels website: https:// agement plan around five strategic regulation. www.brussels.be/unesco-world- heritage Brussels-Capital Region objectives: website: http://patrimoine. 1. Managing the properties; A working group called the “Grand brussels/decouvrir/patrimoine- 2. Conserving the heritage site Place-UNESCO Heritage Monitoring international-a-bruxelles/ la-grand-place-de-bruxelles. while safeguarding its integrity Committee” was established in and authenticity; 2003 within the City of Brussels 3. This plan can be viewed on the City of Brussels website: https://www. 3. Developing a functional mix of Administration. Its aim was to coor- brussels.be/unesco-world-heritage uses, particularly commercial dinate the authorities’ decisions and 4. This working group contains and housing; actions, and to ensure the protection representatives of regional and 4. Improving the living environ- of architectural heritage and the liv- municipal services directly involved 4 in this issue. It meets once or twice ment; ing environment . a year. 5. Raising awareness, increasing the promotion of our heritage, In 2009, the City of Brussels stimulating exchanges of exper- Municipal College adopted a specific tise and developing tourism. municipal planning regulation appli- cable to a zone termed the “UNESCO These objectives are divided into Buffer Zone”. This particular reg- specific targets, which are in turn ulation adds to and fleshes out the implemented in action plans. Regional Planning Regulation with more precise and restrictive pre- A precise knowledge of the site, scriptions in terms of commercial acquired from the historical and image. It focuses on two main objec- architectural studies and schedules tives: preventing economic activity of condition described in previous from damaging the aesthetic and chapters, greatly contributed to the architectural quality of the buildings development of the plan. and ensuring that they serve a vari- ety of purposes by facilitating acces- An initial document was drawn up in sibility to upstairs apartments and 2012 for a three-year period (2012- by limiting any defacement caused 2015). It was the start of active to rear courtyards by technical management and the driver of installations. 138 THE RESTORATION EXCEPTIONALTHE AN OF DECORATIVE ENVIRONMENT | Property inscribed Buffer zone around the Protected property Legal protection SPECIAL EDITION – 2018 2018 – SPECIAL EDITION on the World Heritage List Grand-Place of Brussels (Safeguarding - Classification) zone The Grand Place, Brussels, UNESCO World Heritage. Protection zone known as “Buffer zone” (© urban.brussels). BRUSSELS HERITAGE 139 TIMELINE OF THE WORK 2004-2018 (© HHU, 2014) (© Utopix, M. Ploton, 2018). Before and after restoration: the façades of No. 39 – 2003-2004 and Nos. 34 to 38 -2014-2016 on the Grand Place (details p. 143) Firm Galère sa Cost of work (nr. 39): € 229.041,92 VAT incl. Financial aid given by the Region (nr. 39): €146.512,47 VAT incl. 140 Financial aid given by the Region: €844.867,03 incl. VAT Cost of work: €1.041.548,92 incl. VAT Firm Galère sa Before and after restoration: the façades of Nos. on 8to the 12 Grand Place -2007-2008 THE RESTORATION EXCEPTIONALTHE AN OF DECORATIVE ENVIRONMENT | SPECIAL EDITION – 2018 2018 – SPECIAL EDITION 141 (© Utopix, M. Ploton, 2018). (© HHU, 2006) BRUSSELS HERITAGE (© HHU, 2010) (© Utopix, M. Ploton, 2018) Before and after restoration: the façades of Nos. 20 to 28 on the Grand Place - 2011-2012 Firm Renotec n.v. Cost of work: €994.594,53 VAT incl. Financial aid given by the Region: € 771.778,88 VAT incl. 142 Financial aid given by the Region: €1.107983,22 incl. VAT Cost of work: €1.645.809,66 incl. VAT Firm Renotec n.v. Before and after restoration: the façades of Nos. 1to 7and Nos. 34 to 38 on the Grand Place -2014-2016 THE RESTORATION EXCEPTIONALTHE AN OF DECORATIVE ENVIRONMENT | SPECIAL EDITION – 2018 2018 – SPECIAL EDITION 143 (© Utopix, M. Ploton, 2018) (© CPH, 2013) BRUSSELS HERITAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY CORDEIRO, P. and MARTOU, M.-N., « La DECROLY, M. and KIK-IRPA, Rapport des restauration de L’âne, une façade de la examens stratigraphiques réalisés sur les Grand-Place de Bruxelles », in Pierre menuiseries et pierres dorées de la façade, CORDEIRO, P., ” The Grand-Place of & Marbre, n° 4, p. 32-41, Fédération maison de L’Âne, Grand-Place 39 à 1000 Brussels in Historical Constructions “, 2001, royale des maîtres tailleurs de pierre Bruxelles, December 2001. rd p. 1151-1158, in 3 International Seminar – de Belgique, décembre 2005 / “De DECROLY, M. and KIK-IRPA, Grand-Place Historical Constructions 2001, Possibilities restauratie van ‘den Ezel’. Een gevel op de Bruxelles, Enduits et finitions dorées des of numerical and experimental techniques, de Grote Markt van Brussel”, in Steen façades des maisons sises n°20 à 28 ; Le Guimarães, Portugal, Universidade do & Marmer, n° 4, Koninklijke Bond der Cerf, Joseph et Anne, L’Ange, La Maison des Minho, 7-8-9 November 2001.
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