Brussels public transport operator STIB has argued that the controversial dismantling of the interior of the historic Midi Palace is the best solution for local residents.
The construction of metro line 3 – connecting Evere in the north of Brussels with southern Forest – has been at the heart of heritage discussions for several months. Poor substrate conditions mean that a 120-metre tunnel cannot be built under Palais du Midi near Lemonnier (as first planned); the decision was therefore taken to partially dismantle the iconic building as the only way to allow the works to continue.
Many Brussels organisations and interest groups opposed the Region’s decision. But it has since been confirmed that the demolition will likely start in the second half of 2025.
During a site visit to the future Metro Line 3 at the Brussels Small Ring and the projected Toots Thielemans Metro Station on Thursday, Christophe Rubbens, project manager at STIB, argued that dismantling the interior of the Palais du Midi represents the best option for residents.
The least unpopular option
Despite the controversy this has created, Rubbens said that this has been the most positively received option amongst neighbourhood residents. He argued that the alternative would extend the works in the Stalingrad neighbourhood by ten years. They have already been paused for almost two years, resulting in locals having to live amid construction upheaval.
Construction around the Brussels’ Stalingrad neighbourhood and the future Toots Thielemans Metro Station, the only metro station being built in the first phase of the Metro 3 works, began at the end of 2020. The so-called "Stalingrad Village" was also established at this point to assist traders who lost their location due to the works.
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STIB said that the construction of the future station, named after world-renowned Brussels jazz legend Toots Thielemans, has progressed well over the past three years.
The foundations for the metro tunnel from Midi railway station to Toots Thielemans, under the inner Ring road, have already been established, as well as those under Stalingrad Avenue.
