Recently, it became known that the World Monuments Fund (WMF) added the Brussels Palace of Justice to its biannual list of most endangered monuments on the planet. Who would have thought? The nation’s most imposing building is said to have fallen victim to its enormous size and its future would only be guaranteed by a ‘top to bottom rehabilitation’. In other words, a genuine ‘rescue plan’ will be needed, especially now that we know that the scaffolding won’t be disappearing before 2026 while in the meantime the building keeps falling to pieces. The existing ‘master plan’ for the Brussels Palace of Justice as approved two years ago by the Belgian Council of Ministers is, to say the least, disappointing. As the cards are now, it would retain its judicial activity but only in civil matters. The vacated space would become more accessible to the general public with the opening of the 104 meters high dome. At the lower floors, at the level of the Marolles, various cultural and commercial services would be housed, as well as bars and restaurants. Even worse, plans exist for a gigantic shopping mall, comparable with the total sales area of the Wijnegem Shopping Center.
So far, critical voices remained absent. But can we really let this happen without a broader public debate?
The fact that the Palace of Justice receives more attention and will be made more actively accessible to both citizens and tourists, I considered a good thing at the time of the first announcement of the master plan. The general vision of the future of the building, however, is anything but ambitious. Why not opt resolutely for a total and worthy adaptive reuse of the Palace of Justice at the service of a global justice? A reuse that will give us the unprecedented chance to put Belgium on the world map in a positive way, as we did with our profoundly progressive Constitution at the time of our founding. The Palace of Justice was put into use 130 years ago. At the time, this mastodon’s architecture was heavily criticised for its size, which was considered much to large for human scale. This is hardly surprising if you know that the Palace of Justice is bigger than Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The built-on ground surface stretches about 3 hectares, and on the inside there are almost 300 different rooms and chambers. But it is exactly this megalomania, which was a deliberate philosophy of intimidation by justice in the 19th century, which makes the building so particularly intriguing, and which offers chances for a great project of total renewal.
Symbolic function
My call for a way more ambitious master plan goes far beyond what lies on the table today. From a vision for the future for our country and in pursuit of more justice in the world, I propose to grant the entire building a new symbolic function, without altogether devaluating its initial judicial purpose. A justice, however, not to deter the citizen but as a positive challenge of our society. In particular, we could create a space where justice as an essential part of the constitutional state is elucidated and studied in a historical, contemporary and evolving context. A place where multidisciplinary debates can be held on these notions from, among others, a legal, psychological and philosophical point of view. A global meeting and reference point for children and adults on the topic of justice. Not just punitive justice, but also justice to prevent criminal excesses. An ‘espace justice’ where the visitor is constantly challenged to think about justice. Thanks to the sheer size of the Palace, this can be accomplished in many ways. In the concept I see among others a permanent collection of artwork having justice as its subject (and there are many such artworks, from the Just Judges to contemporary graffiti artists like Banksy) as well as an international research centre with a rich collection of books and audio-visual material. The debate can be further nourished by international symposia and interactive sessions and role-play in the many courtrooms. Schools, universities and other groups from Europe and the rest of the world can organise an interesting field trip here. A society that strives for more justice deserves such a forum. Both Brussels and the Palace of Justice are symbolically very well placed for this, because of the building’s history as well as the role of Brussels inside of Europe. The Palace is built on the Gallows Hill (“Galgenberg”), a name that derives from the place where convicted criminals used to be hanged. On the Grand Place (“Grote Markt”) nearby, executions have long been public spectacles. Fortunately, our vision on repressive justice has evolved over the years. Torture, capital punishment, witch trials, public humiliation and other forms of revenge and retribution no longer have any place in our modern constitutional state. Unfortunately, there are many countries in the world where this evolution has yet to happen. Witnesses thereof are the many shocking images we can see on a daily basis through the internet and various media. But also here with us, we are regularly and very recently confronted with reports about deficient justice, including inhuman circumstances in prisons and other institutions where people are being detained. Indeed, nobody will dare to say that our society in the field of justice has reached its end point. Justice is constantly on the move. The Palace of Justice as an international forum can become a motor to accelerate the evolution to more and a better justice in the world through open debate and confrontation.
To quote a much-used aphorism: ‘Justice must not only be done, it must also be seen to be done.’ In other words, justice has to be visible and tangible for all citizens.
Museumdistrict
This plan is extremely ambitious in a country where many political and other interests collide. But it could be feasible if the necessary will and enthusiasm can be found. 2030 could be a realistic target date, at Belgium’s 200th birthday, which coincides with the end date of the renovations on the Palace of Justice. And let us certainly not forget that Brussels will exert much more international appeal because of it. Tourists will be offered a genuine museum district that will reach from the Poelaertplein to the Koningsplein. The public space around the Palace of Justice will finally be upgraded and become a beacon of reference in the cityscape. A public place with a view across the city where people like to meet, something Brussels certainly lacks a bit compared with other metropolitan cities. After all, this project is a chance for the communities in Belgium to unite more forcefully behind the only federal power left of the trias politica: justice.
Finally, to increase our presence on a Benelux level, we can work together with Den Hague where the International Court of Justice is established. Or with Strasbourg, home port of the European Court of Human Rights. For a city that should be the capital of the European Union, this project cannot be called overly ambitious.
