The city palace "de Mérode" opposite Ixelles' Tenbosch Park is one step closer to renovation. The historic site of the Prince de Merode family will be transformed into flats and offices.
After years of vacancy and decay, the "de Mérode" eclectic city palace previously owned by one of Belgium's most prominent noble families will be given a facelift by heritage developer VDD Project Development, which bought it in 2016. The company has now received the final permit for its project at the site, located at Rue Washington and Rue Hector Denis.
The once luxurious residence with a courtyard garden was built in art-deco design by Brussels architect Joseph Prémont, upon the request of Count Werner de Mérode, who was also involved in Belgian politics, in 1912. He died two years later but the princely family lived there until 1954. It then passed into the hands of the Catholic institution Maison Saint-Ignace before being purchased by VDD Project Development.
The property will now receive a necessary renovation while preserving its valuable facades, rotunda, salons, art deco furnishings and ornaments. Three new buildings will be built around it – two on either side of "de Mérode" and one behind it that will be partly located in the garden, where a pavilion previously stood.
Luxury living
In total, the project will make way for 34 flats, ranging from some as small as 60 square metres (m2) with one-bedroom to four-bed apartments of 315 m2. Only three of the flats will be located in the historic "de Mérode" itself, while four will be added to the building on the left and in the back. The majority will be located in the largest, right-hand building. Offices will be added to the ground floor of "de Mérode".
The first asbestos and demolition work on the site already started this year, and on Monday, the building to the right of the old building will be demolished. Structural work for the new project will start in 2025. Sustainable techniques such as geothermal energy, heat pumps, solar panels and maximum heat recovery will be used to minimise energy consumption.
The sale of the flats will start on Monday 4 November, however, owning one of the flats will be competitive: since the announcement, more than 800 interested parties have already registered as prospective buyers.
