Molenbeek gets giant Hollywood-style sign

The Brussels district of Molenbeek has undergone a Hollywood-style makeover, with the appearance on Thursday of a giant sign mimicking the iconic lettering on the Hollywood Hills.

Brussels bar entrepreneur Frédéric Nicolay, known for Belga on Place Flagey and Le Roi des Belges at Saint-Géry among others, erected the Molenbeek sign on a rooftop overlooking the Brussels canal.

The entrepreneur recently sold parts of the building on the corner of the Chaussée de Gand but kept ownership of the roof.

"I've had this idea for a long time," he told RTBF, adding that he hoped it would "restore pride among the residents of Molenbeek".

He does not expect the sign to stay in place for long - but would like it to last the winter holiday season. "This installation should be considered a piece of art," he said. "We might have it illuminated."

Molenbeek mayor Françoise Schepmans is not against the initiative - and is reportedly willing to look at making it a permanent fixture. "Perhaps with a windmill attached," she said, in a nod to the district's new emblem.

The giant lettering also helps hide the mobile phone masts on the building's roof - but owners of the other parts of the building are reportedly not happy with it.

Nicolay insists that the sign is not against the building's rules, which only forbid advertising hoardings. "Maybe as time goes by, the occupants will end up appreciating it," he said.