A city palace once owned by the princely family de Merode in Elsene is to be fully restored in coming years. The historic building has been standing empty for years but now heritage developer VDD Project Development has been given the green light for redevelopment.
The property is located along the Tenbosch Park in the Brussels borough of Elsene. Count Werner de Merode had the city palace with generous courtyard garden built in the eclectic style shortly before his death in 1914. After his death, the princely family continued to live here until 1954, when the property was sold to a Catholic institution, the Maison Saint-Ignace.
In 2016, heritage developer VDD Project Development acquired the building with a view to restoring it. ‘This historic site that once belonged to the Prince de Merode Family will be restored. Three new buildings, including flats, offices and public facilities will be built on the same site,’ explains director Johan Vandendriessche. ‘For the design, we have joined forces with &Bogdan, a company of Brussels architects.’
The architects are adamant that the project will become a Brussels gem. ‘De Merode stands out for its exceptional history, noble appearance and unique location next to the Tenbosch Park,’ says Oana Bogdan. ‘Organised around a shared garden, three new buildings will enhance the historical splendour’ the architects claim. ‘We want to preserve that splendour and connect it to contemporary high-quality residential buildings.’
Over 800 interested parties!
Work proper will start in 2025 but work to remove asbestos and demolish part of the site have already started. The heritage developer plans to commence the sale of the flats, measuring between 60 and 315 square metres each, on 4 November. More than 800 candidates have already registered an interest in buying a property.