Place du Luxembourg in Ixelles will have its grass and central green space restored after significant damage from the farmer protests, Ixelles Heritage Councillor Yves Rouet announced on Tuesday.
The central green space on the Place du Luxembourg in Ixelles was already in bad shape after years of foot traffic, exacerbated by the square’s litany of bars and after-work drinks.
During the recent farmers' demonstrations, the lawn was damaged so badly to the point that "it no longer exists". Some 40 cm of the ground is contaminated due to tyres being burnt on the site and will need to be excavated.
The Ixelles municipality and the Brussels Region have agreed to restore the whole area, wanting to return it to "the spirit" of the original layout. A new lawn, 4 majestic trees (magnolias grandiflora) and perennial beds.
The lawn will remain accessible around the central monument, whose bluestones will be repaired. The planting work will be undertaken by Bruxelles Mobilité.
Historical Place Luxembourg with the station in the background, where the European Parliament is today.
In his announcement, the Ixelles councillor Rouet also shared some background history of the square.
It was built in 1855 when the Quartier Léopold train station was opened. It was designed by the architect Antoine Trappeniers, who integrated the new public square into an earlier draft urban plan devised by town planner Tilman-François Suys in 1838.
All the neoclassical facades and the station are listed. The small central median strip is typical of a station square from this period, and is one of the last in Brussels. Local residents from the Association du Quartier Léopold would like to see the listing extended to the entire square.
The central monument dedicated to John Cockerill and the iron and steel workers dates from 1872. During the recent demonstrations, one of the statues of the mechanic Beaufort, was dismantled and thrown into the fire.
Following the protests, authorities were able to save the statue, which was lying on the ground. It has suffered extensive damage, is partly cracked and has lost its patina. It is currently being stored in Ghent pending restoration by specialists.
