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Brussels Justice Palace among world's most endangered sites

06:34 19/10/2015

The Justice Palace in Brussels has been included in the 2016 World Monuments Watch, a list of 50 sites in 36 countries that are at risk from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change. The World Monuments Fund (WMF) added the building to the list for its poor condition and lack of a master plan. Most of the monuments on the WMF list are located in areas stricken by war, poverty or natural disasters, notes brusselnieuws.be.

The Brussels Palace of Justice is a victim of its enormous size that long caused it to be seen as a folly, and needs a guarantee of its future and a ground-up rehabilitation,” writes WMF on their site.

The Justice Palace has been in poor condition for decades and renovation efforts have been spotty. There have been reports of falling debris in recent years, and it appears that even the scaffolding is due for a renovation. The federal government does not seem to know what to do with the dilapidated monument, writes brusselsnieuws.be.

"The WMF is an important organisation abroad, and has been around for 50 years. I couldn't think of a better motivation for us to finally address the problem of the courthouse," says Jos Vandenbreeden of the St. Lukas Architecture Archive.

Written by Robyn Boyle