While the city is known for its parks and gardens, the Art Nouveau houses or hidden treasures, the website Bruxelles Secrète asked its readers, "What do you think is the ugliest building in Brussels?"
Voting through social media on the "less glamorous architecture" of the city, the results have shown a clear winner for the ugliest building in Brussels: the North Station.
Built in 1952 by the architects Paul and Jacques Saintenoy, the Gare du Nord is recognisable by its clock tower, but the shops and offices were only built in the 1980s.
The Sablon Tower – the skyscraper which replaced the architectural masterpiece by Victor Horta, the Maison du Peuple – came in second place.
Sablon Tower. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Fred Romero
The Midi Station won the bronze medal in third, which is probably unsurprising for most.
In fourth however, there is the shock appearance of the Palais de Justice. At the time of its construction, it was largest building in the world, and remains today one of the largest courthouses.
Bruxelles Secrète stated that for this particular choice, they suspect the scaffolding and never-ending maintenance works may have influenced the vote.
Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
While the number of voters may not be enough to make it a definitive list, the top ten will feel familiar for most Brussels residents.
- Gare du Nord (37 votes)
- Tour du Sablon (35 votes)
- Gare du Midi (34 votes)
- Palais de Justice (33 votes)
- The frisbee canopy of Rogier metro station (21 votes)
- Municipal hall of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (18 votes)
- Koekelberg Basilica (10 votes)
- Municipal hall of Etterbeek (9 votes)
- Pachéco Centre (7 votes)
- IT Tower (6 votes)
