It’s pretty shameful. Considering how central and close to all the tourist attractions it is, it’s in *desperate* need of a facelift, and has been for some years now.
But, you know; austerity, shoppers going online, etc. Maybe shopping centres are a dying breed? Maybe they’re all doomed to become photogenic ruins, overrun with zombies?
A dying breed? Heck there’s a new shopping centre opening next month (?) on Avenue Toison d’or – about a hundred yards from Galerie Louise shopping centre on one side and from Toison d’or shopping centre on the other. More H & M! And Zara! (Though also an M & S, which makes a change.)
I suspect shopping centres are what developers and speculators use as sweeteners to get their hideous projects passed – you know, “benefits to the community” and all that, though all that happens is they end up as creepy urban wastelands with half the shops boarded up and louche characters lurking – that’s when there’s anyone there at all. There are so many of them in Brussels; I must do a proper Shopping Centre Project.
There’s this place, for example. It’s in better nick than Muntcentrum but look at it – this is (IIRC) a Friday afternoon, and it’s almost totally deserted! What is the point of it? I saw a couple of commuters scurrying towards Central Station, and that was it. So weird. Obviously someone made a truckload of money out of it. https://lempiredeslumieres.com/2014/09/16/galerie-horta/
From what I’ve heard the Belgian construction industry is pretty powerful and can often persuade those with the power to decide these things to approve new building projects which are plainly not necessary.
Maybe this even dates back to the infamous Brusselisation demolition/construction phase of the post-war period?
That wouldn’t surprise me. Proper urban planning doesn’t seem to be very high on anyone’s list; they just seem to be trying to squeeze more cars in (eg with the proposal to put a car park under Place Jeu de Balles – which I THINK, fingers crossed, has been rejected).
I’m also amazed at the states of, for example, major central Metro stations like Bourse and De Brouckère – thousands of people must pass through them every day, yet they look like sets from Escape from New York.
L'EMPIRE DES LUMIÈRES 
It’s pretty shameful. Considering how central and close to all the tourist attractions it is, it’s in *desperate* need of a facelift, and has been for some years now.
But, you know; austerity, shoppers going online, etc. Maybe shopping centres are a dying breed? Maybe they’re all doomed to become photogenic ruins, overrun with zombies?
A dying breed? Heck there’s a new shopping centre opening next month (?) on Avenue Toison d’or – about a hundred yards from Galerie Louise shopping centre on one side and from Toison d’or shopping centre on the other. More H & M! And Zara! (Though also an M & S, which makes a change.)
I suspect shopping centres are what developers and speculators use as sweeteners to get their hideous projects passed – you know, “benefits to the community” and all that, though all that happens is they end up as creepy urban wastelands with half the shops boarded up and louche characters lurking – that’s when there’s anyone there at all. There are so many of them in Brussels; I must do a proper Shopping Centre Project.
There’s this place, for example. It’s in better nick than Muntcentrum but look at it – this is (IIRC) a Friday afternoon, and it’s almost totally deserted! What is the point of it? I saw a couple of commuters scurrying towards Central Station, and that was it. So weird. Obviously someone made a truckload of money out of it. https://lempiredeslumieres.com/2014/09/16/galerie-horta/
From what I’ve heard the Belgian construction industry is pretty powerful and can often persuade those with the power to decide these things to approve new building projects which are plainly not necessary.
Maybe this even dates back to the infamous Brusselisation demolition/construction phase of the post-war period?
That wouldn’t surprise me. Proper urban planning doesn’t seem to be very high on anyone’s list; they just seem to be trying to squeeze more cars in (eg with the proposal to put a car park under Place Jeu de Balles – which I THINK, fingers crossed, has been rejected).
I’m also amazed at the states of, for example, major central Metro stations like Bourse and De Brouckère – thousands of people must pass through them every day, yet they look like sets from Escape from New York.