Place de la Bourse, Brussels

The Place de la Bourse (French) or Beursplein (Dutch), meaning "Stock Exchange Square", is a major square in central Brussels, Belgium. The former Brussels Stock Exchange building, of which it takes its name,[1] is located on this square. It is served by the premetro (underground tram) station Bourse/Beurse on lines 3 and 4.

Place de la Bourse (in French)
Beursplein (in Dutch)
The Brussels Stock Exchange
Location within Brussels
LocationCity of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
QuarterCentral District
Coordinates50°50′54″N 04°20′59″E
Construction
Completionc. 1870

History

The Place de la Bourse was laid out following the covering of the Senne (1867–1871), as part of the major urban works by architect Léon Suys under the tenure of then-mayor of the City of Brussels, Jules Anspach. Centrally located halfway down Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan (then called Boulevard Central/Centraallaan), it served as the focal point of Suys' sanitation and beautification programme for the city.[2]

The Place de la Bourse/Beursplein in the 1920s

Nowadays, the square is used as a gathering place and many important events are organised there. Since 29 June 2015, it has been part of a large pedestrian zone in the centre of Brussels.[3] In the aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings, it was used as an impromptu memorial.[4][5] On 11 November 2017, a major riot broke out from the square.[6][7]

Buildings around the square

On the south-eastern side of the Place de la Bourse, the Brussels Stock Exchange building occupies the site of the former butter market (French: Marché au Beurre, Dutch: Botermarkt), itself built over the remains of the 13th-century Récollets Franciscan convent.[2] The eclectic building mixes borrowings from the neo-Renaissance and Second Empire styles in a profusion of ornaments and sculptures by renowned artists including Auguste Rodin.[2] The building is to reopen in 2023 as a museum of Belgian beer.[8]

Location and accessibility

The Place de la Bourse lies at the conjunction of Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan to the north and south with several smaller streets on its north-western side; Rue Paul Devaux/Paul Devauxstraat, Rue Auguste Orts/Auguste Ortsstraat, and Rue Jules Van Praet/Jules Van Praetstraat. Additionally, two sides streets, running along each side of the Stock Exchange building, lead into it from the south-east; Rue Henri Maus/Henri Mausstraat and Rue de la Bourse/Beursstraat.

The Place de la Bourse in 2012 before pedestrianisation

See also

References
  1. Poel, Nana Van De. "The History Of La Bourse In 1 Minute". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  2. Centre d'information, de Documentation et d'Etude du Patrimoine, Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire: Les Boulevards du Centre (1997), p. 28.
  3. "Project. Pedestrian zone". www.brussels.be. 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  4. Siddique, Haroon; Khomami, Nadia (2016-03-22). "Brussels square covered with messages of defiance after attacks". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  5. "After terror attacks, a main square in Brussels is covered in messages of hope". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  6. News, Flanders (2017-11-12). "22 police officers injured in Brussels football riot". vrtnws.be. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  7. "Brussels riot after Morocco football win". BBC News. 2017-11-12. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  8. Maïthé Chini (19 February 2020). "Brussels Bourse building to be transformed into Beer Museum". The Brussels Times.


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