Cinquantenaire Arcade

Last updated

Cinquantenaire Arcade
  • Arcade(s) du Cinquantenaire (French)
  • Arcade(s) van het Jubelpark (Dutch)
Brussels Cinquantenaire R03.jpg
Cinquantenaire Arcade
General information
Type Colonnade and memorial arch
Architectural style Neoclassical
Address Parc du Cinquantenaire / Jubelpark
Town or city1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region
CountryBelgium
Coordinates 50°50′25″N4°23′34″E / 50.84028°N 4.39278°E / 50.84028; 4.39278
Construction started4 January 1905 (4 January 1905)
Completed27 September 1905 (27 September 1905)
Design and construction
Architect(s) Gédéon Bordiau, Charles Girault
DesignationsProtected (29/06/1984)
Other information
Public transit access
References
[1]

The Cinquantenaire Arcade (French : Arcade(s) du Cinquantenaire; Dutch : Arcade(s) van het Jubelpark) is a memorial arcade in the centre of the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark in Brussels, Belgium. The centrepiece is a monumental triple arch known as the Cinquantenaire Arch (French: Arc du Cinquantenaire; Dutch: Triomfboog van het Jubelpark). It is topped by a bronze quadriga sculptural group with a female charioteer, representing the Province of Brabant personified raising the national flag. [2]

Contents

The monument is oriented facing Brussels' city centre, on one side in the axis of the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, which, crossing the Leopold Quarter, ends in the Royal Quarter, seat of the Belgian Parliament, the Belgian Government and the Royal Palace; and on the other side, in the axis of the Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan, leads to the former Palace of the Colonies  [ fr ] (today's Royal Museum for Central Africa). This area is served by the metro stations Schuman and Merode on lines 1 and 5.

History

The Cinquantenaire Arcade was part of a project commissioned by the Belgian Government under the patronage of King Leopold II for the 1880 National Exhibition, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Belgian Revolution. [1] In 1880, only the bases of the memorial arch's columns were completed, and during the exhibition, the rest of the arch was constructed from wooden panels. In the following years, the monument's completion was the topic of a continuous battle between Leopold II and the Belgian Government, which did not want to spend the money required to complete it.

The original single arch of the 1880 exhibition was conceived by the architect Gédéon Bordiau, but upon his death in 1904, the arch's design was revised by the French architect Charles Girault, chosen by Leopold II. [1] Girault designed a triple arch, but preserved Bordiau's idea of the quadriga. [1] The foundation of the new arch was laid down on 4 January 1905, replacing Bordiau's temporary arch. The basic construction was completed with private funding in May of the same year and the arcade was inaugurated by Leopold II on 27 September 1905, just in time for the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence. [1]

The monument received protected status on 29 June 1984. [1] Plans were announced in 2022 to renovate the Parc du Cinquantenaire including the archway as part of a project called "Cinquantenaire Bicentenaire" for the 200th anniversary of Belgium's independence. [3]

Panoramic view of the Cinquantenaire Arcade. The Cinquantenaire Arch was completed in 1905, replacing a previous temporary version of the arcade. Arcade du Cinquantenaire (DSCF7405).jpg
Panoramic view of the Cinquantenaire Arcade. The Cinquantenaire Arch was completed in 1905, replacing a previous temporary version of the arcade.

Description

Arch

The Cinquantenaire Arch, 30-metre-wide (98 ft) and 45-metre-high (148 ft), has three bays of equal dimensions. The ceiling, whose arches are semi-circular, is made up of stone caissons, decorated for half of them with a laurel wreath, and for the rest with the acronym meaning "The King, and Law, and Liberty!", one of Belgium's official pledges. The monument's decoration and the sculptures that adorn it were entrusted to the most prominent artists of the time in a spirit of national exaltation.

Quadriga

The quadriga (or Brabant Raising the National Flag) by Thomas Vincotte and Jules Lagae Triomfboog Jubelpark 4.JPG
The quadriga (or Brabant Raising the National Flag) by Thomas Vinçotte and Jules Lagae

The arch's bronze quadriga, entitled Brabant Raising the National Flag, was made by Thomas Vinçotte and the horses by Jules Lagae. [1] The pedestal, facing the Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan, bears the inscription: "This monument was erected in 1905 for the glorification of the independence of Belgium", with the year shown in Roman numerals. A spiral staircase, now flanked by an elevator, provides access to the exhibition room located under the quadriga and to the two terraces located on either side of it.

Columns and sculptures

The columns echo the original layout of the Avenue de Tervueren, which was once divided into three roadways lined with a double row of trees. [1] At the foot of the arch, a total of eight statues depicting personifications of Belgian Provinces can be found on either sidewall (Brabant being represented by the quadriga): Province of Hainaut and Province of Limburg by Albert Desenfans, Province of Antwerp and Province of Liège by Charles van der Stappen, Province of East Flanders and Province of West Flanders by Jef Lambeaux, and Province of Namur and Province of Luxembourg by Guillaume de Groot. [1] Twelve spandrels are decorated with allegories of Arts and Industry. [1]

Colonnade and frieze

The originally open colonnade was closed at the rear by a wall in 1905, which starting in 1912, was decorated with a 360 m2 (3,900 sq ft) mosaic frieze with the theme The glorification of peaceful and heroic Belgium, by Jean Delville. He was then joined by several other artists. [1] The mosaic decoration was completed in 1932.

Location and accessibility

The various buildings of the Cinquantenaire, of which the arch forms the centrepiece, host three museums: the Royal Military Museum, the Art & History Museum and Autoworld vintage car museum. In front of the arch lies a large esplanade cutting through the Cinquantenaire Park. The Temple of Human Passions by Victor Horta, a remainder from 1886, and the Great Mosque of Brussels from 1978, are located in the north-western corner of the park. The surrounding park esplanade is used for several purposes in the summer, such as military parades and drive-in movies. It is also the starting point for the 20 km of Brussels, an annual run with 30,000 participants.

Lines 1 and 5 of the Brussels Metro and the Belliard Tunnel from the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat pass underneath the park, the latter partly in an open section in front of the arch. The nearest metro stations are Schuman to the west of the park, and Merode immediately to the east.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark is a large public, urban park of 30 ha in the easternmost part of the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schuman railway station</span> Railway station in Brussels, Belgium

Brussels-Schuman railway station is a railway station in the City of Brussels, Belgium, serving the European Quarter. It received its name from the area around the Robert Schuman Roundabout, itself named after Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merode station</span> Railway and metro station in Brussels, Belgium

Merode is a railway and metro station in Brussels, Belgium. It lies in the municipality of Etterbeek, near the border between Etterbeek, the City of Brussels and Schaerbeek. The metro end is under the Porte de Tervueren/Tervuursepoort, which is the start of the Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan, a major thoroughfare, while the mainline railway station end is under the Square Princesse Jean de Mérode/Prinses Jean de Mérodeplein. The two stations are connected by a long underground concourse punctuated by ticket barriers. The area is named in honour of the Princess Jean de Mérode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rue de la Loi</span> Street in Brussels, Belgium

The Rue de la Loi or Wetstraat (Dutch), meaning "Law Street", is a major street running through central and eastern Brussels, Belgium, which is famous due to the presence of several notable Belgian and European Union (EU) governmental buildings. The road runs from the Rue Royale/Koningsstraat, in central Brussels, to the Robert Schuman Roundabout in its European Quarter. It forms the first (westerly) part of the N3 road that runs to Aachen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavilion of Human Passions</span> Neoclassical pavilion in Brussels, Belgium

The Pavilion of Human Passions, also known as the Horta-Lambeaux Pavilion, is a neoclassical pavilion in the form of a Greek temple that was built by Victor Horta in 1896 in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark of Brussels, Belgium. Although classical in appearance, the building shows the first steps of the young Victor Horta towards Art Nouveau. It was designed to serve as a permanent showcase for a large marble relief The Human Passions by Jef Lambeaux.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art & History Museum</span> Public museum in Brussels, Belgium

The Art & History Museum is a public museum of antiquities and ethnographic and decorative arts located at the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark in Brussels, Belgium. The museum is one of the constituent parts of the Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH) and is one of the largest art museums in Europe. It was formerly called the Cinquantenaire Museum until 2018. It is served by the metro stations Schuman and Merode on lines 1 and 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Schuman Roundabout</span> Roundabout in Brussels, Belgium

The Robert Schuman Roundabout, sometimes called Robert Schuman Square, is a roundabout at the end of the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat in Brussels, Belgium, that serves as a focus for major institutions of the European Union (EU). It is named after Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, and gives its name to the surrounding district and Brussels-Schuman railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History</span> Military museum in Brussels, Belgium

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, also known as the Royal Military Museum, is a military museum that occupies the two northernmost halls of the historic complex in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark in Brussels, Belgium. This site is served by the metro stations Schuman and Merode on lines 1 and 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenue de Tervueren</span> Thoroughfare in Brussels, Belgium

The Avenue de Tervueren or Tervurenlaan is a major thoroughfare in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally commissioned by King Leopold II as part of his building campaign, and was finished in 1897, in time for the Brussels International Exhibition of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N3 road (Belgium)</span>

The N3 road in Belgium is a national road connecting the capital city Brussels to Aachen in Germany via Leuven, Tienen, Sint-Truiden and Liège. Its course is quite similar to that of European route E40 between Brussels and Aachen, which it intersects 3 times. The road runs through the 3 Belgian regions and the 3 communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rue Belliard</span> Street in Brussels, Belgium

The Rue Belliard (French) or Belliardstraat (Dutch) is a major street in the European Quarter of Brussels, Belgium, running parallel to the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat. Both are one-way streets; where traffic in the Rue de la Loi runs in the western direction towards Brussels' city centre, the Rue Belliard runs in the eastern direction, away from the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brussels International Exposition (1897)</span> Worlds fair in Brussels, Belgium

The Brussels International Exposition of 1897 was a world's fair held in Brussels, Belgium, from 10 May 1897 through 8 November 1897. There were 27 participating countries, and an estimated attendance of 7.8 million people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Vinçotte</span> Belgian medallist, sculptor (1850–1925)

Baron Thomas Jules Vinçotte was a Belgian sculptor and medallist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jules Lagae</span> Belgian sculptor and medallist

Jules Lagae was a Belgian sculptor and medallist, born in Roeselare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Desenfans</span> Belgian sculptor

Constant Albrecht (Albert) Desenfans was a Belgian sculptor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gédéon Bordiau</span> Belgian architect

Gédéon-Nicolas-Joseph Bordiau was a Belgian architect, active in the second half of the nineteenth century. His work includes the plans for the Cinquantenaire exhibition parc and buildings, the project for the North-Eastern Quarter, Hotel Metropole and other notable buildings in Brussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Brussels</span>

The following is a timeline of the history of Brussels, Belgium.

The following lists events that happened during 1905 in the Kingdom of Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Varlet</span> Belgian architect

Antoine Varlet was a Belgian architect. He specialised in luxury apartment buildings in Beaux-Arts and later Art Deco styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monument to the Dynasty</span> Monument in Brussels, Belgium

The Monument to the Dynasty is a monument erected in Brussels, Belgium, in memory of King Leopold I, first King of the Belgians. The monument is located in Laeken Park, on the Place de la Dynastie/Vorstenhuisplein, on top of a 50-metre-high (160 ft) hill. It completes the monumental axis, which starts from the portal of the Royal Palace of Laeken, and which leads to the monument after crossing the Avenue du Parc Royal/Koninklijk Parklaan via the Avenue de la Dynastie/Vorstenhuislaan.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (2009–2010). "Arcade et hémicycle" (in French). Brussels. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  2. McDonald 2011, p. 113.
  3. "Cinquantenaire 2030". JUBELPARK - CINQUANTENAIRE. Retrieved 12 April 2024.

Bibliography