Boulevard Anspach

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Boulevard Anspach (in French)
Anspachlaan (in Dutch)
Pictures taken from former Actiris Building on Anspach, Brussels 19.jpg
View on the Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan from the former Actiris building
Boulevard Anspach is located in Brussels
Boulevard Anspach
Location within Brussels
LocationCity of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
QuarterCentral District
Coordinates50°50′52″N 04°20′57″E / 50.84778°N 4.34917°E / 50.84778; 4.34917Coordinates: 50°50′52″N 04°20′57″E / 50.84778°N 4.34917°E / 50.84778; 4.34917
Construction
Completion1868–1871

The Boulevard Anspach (French) or Anspachlaan (Dutch) is a central boulevard in Brussels, Belgium, connecting the Place de Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein to the Place Fontainas/Fontainasplein. It bears the name of a former mayor of the City of Brussels, Jules Anspach (1829–1879).

Many places of interest lie along the Boulevard Anspach, for instance the Brussels Stock Exchange, the Ancienne Belgique concert hall, the Pathé Palace cinema (officially named the Cinéma Palace since 2018),[1] as well as numerous shops and restaurants.

The Boulevard Anspach is continued to the north by both the Boulevard Émile Jacqmain/Émile Jacqmainlaan and the Boulevard Adolphe Max/Adolphe Maxlaan, forming a "Y" crossroad. To the south, it crosses the Place de la Bourse/Beursplein about halfway through, and continues towards the Place Fontainas where it becomes the Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier/Maurice Lemonnierlaan.

De Brouckère metro station on lines 1 and 5 of the Brussels metro is accessible from the Boulevard Anspach, as well as the Bourse/Beurs premetro (underground tram) station.

History[]

The Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan in 1880, etching by Armand Heins from L'Illustration nationale

The Boulevard Anspach was built between 1868 and 1871, as part of the North–South Axis which was created after the covering of the river Senne,[2][3] although the river no longer flows underneath it. Prior to 1879, it was named the Boulevard Central/Centraallaan ("Central Boulevard"),[4][5] when it was renamed in honour of Jules Anspach (1829–1879), the former mayor of the City of Brussels who instigated these works.[2]

On 4 September 1944, the Boulevard Anspach was the scene of great jubilation during the liberation of Brussels by the British Guards Armoured Division. In 1976, as part of the North–South line, the premetro took the place of the river, which was then diverted along the small ring road.

In June 2012, "protest picnics" were held on the Boulevard Anspach to express dissatisfaction with the City of Brussels' mobility policy. Following these events, the city's then-mayor, Freddy Thielemans, decided to make the boulevard car-free every Sunday afternoon for the entire summer.[6] His successor, Yvan Mayeur, wished to expand the Boulevard Anspach into a permanent pedestrian zone with a new street cover, equipped with fountains, works of art, benches and trees. On 29 June 2015, the boulevard finally became completely car-free between the Place de la Bourse/Beursplein and the Place de Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein as part of a broader pedestrianisation of Brussels' city centre (Le Piétonnier).[7][8][9]

Notable buildings[]

The Boulevard Anspach is home to many buildings in neoclassical, Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and eclectic styles. Some examples include:

  • No. 3: Café Sésino (1875) by  [fr; nl]. This eclectic building won the fifth prize in the architectural competition of 1876. It was demolished in 1967.
  • No. 56–58: Built in 1939 by Adrien Blomme for Wielemans-Ceuppens breweries. It once housed the famous café Aux Armes des Brasseurs.[10]
  • No. 59–61: Eclectic apartment building (1872) by Gédéon Bordiau, decorated with caryatids by sculptor Julien Dillens[11]
  • No. 78: Neo-Baroque apartment building (1874) by Émile Janlet[12]
  • No. 85: Pathé Palace (1913), Art Nouveau cinema by Paul Hamesse[13]

  • Café Sésino (De Keyser, 1875) (demolished)

  • Aux Armes des Brasseurs (Blomme, 1939)

  • Apartment building (Bordiau, 1872)

  • Apartment building (Janlet, 1874)

  • Pathé Palace cinema (Hamesse, 1913)

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Fabienne Bradfer, Gaëlle Moury, Réapprendre à voir un film grâce au Palace, Le Soir, 12 février 2018, p. 23
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Demey 1990, p. 65.
  3. ^ Map of Suys' Proposal. City Archives of Brussels: P.P. 1.169
  4. ^ Eggericx 1997, p. 26.
  5. ^ "EBru | boulevard Anspach | Bruxelles Pentagone".
  6. ^ NWS, VRT (2012-06-15). "Anspachlaan wordt elke zondagmiddag autovrij". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  7. ^ O'Sullivan, Feargus (7 January 2014). "Europe's Most Congested City Contemplates Going Car-Free". City Lab. The Atlantic. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  8. ^ Vermeersch, Laurent (6 February 2015). "Centrale lanen: twee fonteinen en twee fietsparkings" (in Dutch). Brussel Nieuws. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Project. Pedestrian zone". www.brussels.be. 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  10. ^ "Bruxelles Pentagone - Boulevard Anspach 56-58 - BLOMME A." www.irismonument.be. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  11. ^ "Bruxelles Pentagone - Boulevard Anspach 59-61 - Rue du Marche aux Poulets 16-18-20 - BORDIAU Gedeon". www.irismonument.be. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  12. ^ "Bruxelles Pentagone - Boulevard Anspach 76-78 - Rue de la Bourse 2 - JANLET E." www.irismonument.be. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  13. ^ "Bruxelles Pentagone - Pathe Palace - Boulevard Anspach 85-87 - Borgval 19-21-23 - Rue Jules Van Praet 24-26-28 - HAMESSE Paul". www.irismonument.be. Retrieved 2018-12-20.

Bibliography[]

  • Demey, Thierry (1990). Bruxelles, chronique d’une capitale en chantier (in French). I: Du voûtement de la Senne à la jonction Nord-Midi. Brussels: Paul Legrain/CFC. OCLC 44643865.
  • Eggericx, Laure (1997). Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire (in French). 20: Les Boulevards du Centre. Brussels: Centre d'information, de Documentation et d'Etude du Patrimoine.


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