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| Flagey Square | |
|---|---|
| Name | Flagey Square |
| Native name | Place Flagey |
| Location | Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium |
| Named for | Eugène Flagey |
Flagey Square is a prominent urban plaza located in the Ixelles municipality of Brussels in Belgium. The square sits at the convergence of major avenues near the Ixelles Ponds and the Chaussée d'Ixelles, and it is dominated by the Art Deco former Maison de la Radio commonly called the Flagey building. The area functions as a nexus for cultural institutions, commercial activity, and transport links connecting to central Brussels-City, Schaerbeek, and Saint-Gilles.
The square developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries amid urban expansion associated with the Industrial Revolution in Belgium and municipal reforms in Brussels. Initially part of marshy terrain near the Ixelles Ponds, the site was urbanised as part of the same wave that produced the European Quarter and the Mont des Arts projects. In the interwar period, municipal leader Eugène Flagey commissioned civic works including the building that now anchors the plaza; the square was later named in his honour. During the German occupation of Belgium in World War II, the surrounding streets saw rationing-era commerce and postwar reconstruction influenced by Marshall Plan-era development. In the late 20th century, the precinct became associated with the rise of the Belgian comics scene and the cultural resurgence led by institutions such as the SABAM and municipal arts services.
The dominant edifice is the former Institut National de Radiodiffusion radio house, designed in an Art Deco idiom reminiscent of contemporaneous works by Victor Horta and later modernist trends. The building, with its horizontal bands of glazing and rounded corners, evokes international comparisons to the Bauhaus and Le Corbusier-influenced structures in Paris and Berlin. Surrounding tenements display eclectic influences including Haussmann-style articulation, Eclecticism, and Flemish Neo-Renaissance façades akin to properties in Uccle and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Public space design integrates tree-lined promenades, tram shelters congruent with STIB/MIVB standards, and paving schemes inspired by Piet Blom-era interventions. Recent landscape works referenced conservation approaches used at Cinquantenaire and the Royal Palace of Brussels gardens.
The plaza functions as a cultural hub housing performance venues, recording studios, galleries, cafes, and markets that attract audiences from Laeken to Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. It hosts music organizations and festivals associated with labels and institutions such as Sonic City, Belgian National Orchestra, and independent producers who collaborate with broadcasters descended from the original INR/NIR. Retail corridors link to bookshops specialising in Tintin and Spirou comics, galleries exhibiting works by René Magritte-inspired artists, and boutiques selling Belgian chocolates like those from Neuhaus and Pierre Marcolini. The culinary scene includes brasseries reflecting Belgian gastronomy traditions and contemporary venues influenced by restaurateurs from Antwerp and Ghent.
The square is a multimodal interchange served by Brussels tram route 81, tram route 92, and bus lines operated by STIB/MIVB connecting to Brussels-Central railway station and Brussels-South railway station. Cycling infrastructure ties into the Villo! bike-share network and urban routes used by commuters between Ixelles Ponds and the European Quarter. Pedestrian access links with the Chaussée d'Ixelles and the Avenue Louise corridors; vehicular circulation management follows municipal traffic plans influenced by Jan Gehl-style pedestrianisation policies implemented across Brussels-Capital Region neighbourhoods.
The square programmes seasonal markets, open-air concerts, and film screenings collaborating with institutions such as the Flagey Concert Hall organisation and media partners descended from RTBF and VRT. Annual events include indie music festivals that invite artists connected to Brussels Jazz Festival and electronic scenes that have ties to labels in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. Cultural programming often links to wider city festivals such as Brussels Summer Festival and public art commissions coordinated with the Fonds Fernand and Isabelle Huts and local arts councils. Film retrospectives and recording sessions draw filmmakers and musicians who collaborate with festivals like Cinematek and venues comparable to BOZAR.
Conservation efforts have balanced preservation of the Art Deco radio building with adaptive reuse strategies echoing practices used at the Tour & Taxis site and the Sainte-Catherine district. Redevelopment plans negotiated by the Ixelles municipal council involved stakeholders including the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, heritage bodies linked to UNESCO-style charters, and private developers from the Benelux region. Interventions addressed flood mitigation adjacent to the Ixelles Ponds and sustainable retrofitting modelled on energy standards promoted by the European Commission and the Belgian Building Research Institute.
The square and its landmark building appear in documentaries about Belgian radio history and in narratives set in Brussels by authors connected with the Belgian comics tradition. Photographers and filmmakers inspired by urban scenes from Brussels have used the plaza as a backdrop in productions associated with broadcasters such as RTBF and independent studios linked to Cinéart. Musicians who recorded in the building's studios include collaborators from the Benelux indie scene and artists who performed at venues across Mont des Arts and Place Sainte-Catherine.
Category:Squares in Brussels Category:Ixelles Category:Art Deco architecture in Belgium