Attempt to protect air-raid shelters under Palais du Midi

Air-raid shelters from the second world war located under the Palais du Midi could be saved from demolition through an application for heritage status. 

The application was submitted by the ARAU urban association, which describes its mission as improving the environment and strengthening the participation of residents in the urban planning process.

The Palais du Midi is set to be demolished as part of a major - and currently stalled - construction project for a tunnel for the future metro line 3, but the association says the air-raid shelters beneath it are a historic site representing significant heritage and commemorative value.

ARAU is urging “the Brussels region to ensure a serious and objective handling of the case, without interference from [Brussels public transit company] Stib”.

The association has opposed the metro project from the outset and conducted a historical analysis of the Palais du Midi back in early September, which it sent to both regional authorities and the City of Brussels.

“So far, only the regional town planning department (Urban.brussels) has vaguely confirmed receipt, and there has been no political response whatsoever confirming the existence of the air-raid shelters,” ARAU said. 

“Worse still, the City of Brussels has not granted us access to the floor plans of the Palais du Midi, which would enable us to better document the history of these shelters.”

Brussels state secretary for urban planning Audrey Henry (MR) publicly acknowledged the existence of the shelters recently, but said their existence had not been reported to Urban.brussels, her office or any other parties involved in the case prior to the granting of the demolition permit.

Henry said that as soon as the information was received, Urban.brussels organised an initial visit with the parties involved wherein it was confirmed that certain spaces had served as air-raid shelters, but also that the cellars had undergone extensive alterations over time. 

Additional research is therefore being carried out to map the remains and objectively assess their heritage value.

“The [demolition] permit also provides for archaeological supervision of the works,” Henry assured. 

“Should the investigation reveal new elements requiring special measures, these will be examined in accordance with the applicable procedures and by the competent authorities.”

But ARAU said the whole affair demonstrated that the project to dismantle the Palais du Midi, “and, in a broader sense, the entire Metro 3 project”, had been poorly managed.