(14j) How to improve a city so it generates money - an example

The Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower, two beautiful buildings in Laken, Belgium, that you wouldn't expect here but are perfect in the country of surrealism. In 2013 the buildings were closed because of stability problems. The administration responsible for the maintenance of the buildings promised they would start restoration that should end in 2021, but at the start of 2023 little happened to these iconic, and now protected buildings. In another part of Brussels you can visit the recently restored Hallepoort / Porte de Hal (Halle Gate). Now, a discussion about the future of these buildings started as the owner Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH) wants to sell them. 

Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower

These two buildings, located in Laken in the north of Brussels, were museums that housed Asian art, Chinese art in the Chinese Pavilion and Japanese art in the Japanese Tower and they are collectively known as Museums of the Far East. After the closure of the buildings as they became unstable, their collections are now stored in the reserves at Belgium's Royal Museum of Art and History (RMAH), thus far away from the public although the website informs that some of the masterpieces from the collection of Chinese export porcelain are now on view in the Chinese galleries at the Cinquantenaire Museum. Indeed, the RMAH are part of the Federal Scientific Institutes that concern a number of museums that are located in different places of Brussels and include the:

• Art and History Museum in the Jubelpark / Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels; 
• Music Instrument Museum (MIM) located in central Brussels between the Royal Palace and train station Brussels Central; 
• Halle Gate in Saint-Gilles, one of 19 towns in greater Brussels, and 
• Museums of the Far East in the north of Brussels that concern three buildings that, according the website, are under renovation but not yet started and thus they remain closed.

Still, as the importance of Asia, be it economic, political, military and scientific, is visibly increasing year after year, and Asian countries are no longer the cheap production place of goods to be sold in Europe and the USA but instead are now in direct competition with Europe and the USA, it is important that specific museums such as the Museums of the Far East inform both about the past but also present and future innovations. Compare with the Africa Museum (see further) that was recently restored and reopened, not only because Congo, Rwanda and Burundi were once Belgian colonies, but also because Africa becomes increasingly important as it starts to take decisions from their perspective that concern their own future in a globalised world.

The Chinese Pavilion and on the right at the back the red Japanese Tower. Below on the left a few details of the decorations of the Chinese Pavilion.

Before their closure, I walked a long walk from the Heizel over Schaarbeek and to the centre of Brussels whereby I walked past the Chinese Pavilion. One of the main things that I noticed was the absence of a brasserie for a drink and some food, although a sign indicated the presence of both a coffee corner and a bookshop. However, only after a search I found at the end of a narrow corridor a drink machine, half-full. The pictures of these buildings (and more can be seen in detail on my Flickr account) were taken on Wednesday, 15/08/2012 and a few months before its closure, and although this 15 August is in Belgium an official holiday day, it is normally not a closing day for museums and indeed, a few persons left the building, and immediately also the park.

Although there was a sign that suggested the presence of a bookshop and coffee corner, I remember a near empty park (one person sunbathing on a free day) and a drink machine in the museum. The missed opportunities such as a coffee corner and playground for children to generate income for the museum.

These buildings are located in a beautiful park, but as mostly in parks in Brussels, visitors are discouraged to come: no bars, no children's playgrounds, mostly grass and trees and often buildings in sections of the park that cannot be visited such as the Royal Palace. The exception is the Atomium that is rightfully a iconic building that can be visited whereby it represents an iron unit cell (9 iron atoms) that is magnified 165 billion times, and the surrounding exhibition buildings where temporary exhibitions are held; these buildings are really promoted as touristic hot-spot. In contrast, the nearby very popular Mini-Europe is in danger of demolition while the subtropical swimming park is already gone. As the park is huge, all these buildings could be promoted as places to visit; however, don't forget your own drinks or you may die of thirst, unless you find the way back to the Atomium where a bar is located next a very busy road. 

The Atomium on the left that can be visited up to the highest boll at 102 metres. On the right the nearby large exhibition halls, the largest in the Benelux.

Compare with London: each park has its brasserie with drinks and food while museums have in addition to coffee corners also shops to buy related books, souvenirs and toys for children because, parks, and certainly when they have a museum, mean economy and thus money. An example is the National History Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum that are located within (small) parks and have their own coffee corner and bookshops while outside there are more shops, restaurants and bars, and other public parks such as Hyde Park with their own brasserie so they are very pleasant locations. 

The National History Museum, located within a green area and with a nice coffee corner and shop (latter not pictured). Nearby the museum there are more coffee shops, bars and restaurants but also shops, including Harrods while a little further you find Hyde Park, including its own brasserie.

Belgium too has a good example in the African Museum that, although located a little outside Brussels in Tervuren, it attracts many people because of its museum but also its brasserie in a new modern building and beautiful park. Of course, it shouldn't be civil servants who serve drinks and food as brasseries are normally leased out to private people or companies who earn from it while the city receives rent. This money allows the city to invest in its parks and buildings.

The Africa Museum. On the far left the new modern building that functions as the entrance whereby an underground corridor connects to with the main building on the right. In this new building is also a nice bar on the first floor with a view over the historical building and its park.

In Brussels, as far as I know, only the Warandepark / Parc de Bruxelles in central Brussels between the Royal Palace and Parliament has two bars, and thus this park is always busy. Other parks have nearly nothing such as Elizabethpark in Koekelberg (although it has a children's playground while dog walkers frequent the park) where in the past during the summer months volunteers opened a bar with sometimes small festivals; unfortunately but the town decided to close it, with the excuse they would improve the building. Once closed, Koekelberg decided the closure was good and they didn't do anything, although investments in parks are important as people from different backgrounds meet. Still, the park is constantly well maintained, but without any income except tax money. Similar for other parks. Indeed, there must be a reason why taxes in Belgium are among the highest in the world. 

Return to the huge park in the Heizel, I think there are many possibilities to attract people who should be able to spend their money in order every park and museum earns its own maintenance back. Next the Chinese Pavilion, maybe between the Pavilion and the Japanese Tower, an additional modern building can be built that can be used as a brasserie. Next the brasserie a children's playground can be built so people who visited the museum but also people who came for a walk in the park can have a drink while they watch their children play (although in today's society this may be a health and safety issue because parents need to stand next their children in case they may fall and hurt themselves, or otherwise they may appear before magistrates for child neglect).

A large park of which a large area around the Royal Palace (blue) is closed. Most people arrive via the metro or tram near the Atomium and exhibition buildings (red) while just around the corner is the national football station (green) and the cinema Kinepolis and Mini-Europe; in the past even a subtropical swimming pool that has been demolished. The Chinese Pavilion, Japanese Tower and Fountain of Neptune are located at the top of the park (yellow). All are within walking distance.

There should be a good and safe connection between both buildings, thus no street in between but, as example to stay in the same continent, an Asian garden; a street can be build below the connection. People can then visit the Chinese collection in the Chinese pavilion and the Japanese collection in the Japanese Tower so these collections are again available to the public. A guide book can also suggest that people walk to the nearby memorial of Belgium's first king Leopold I that is located opposite the Royal Palace in Laken, and to see the Fountain of Neptune by Giambologna that is a copy of the original fountain in Bologna, although the fountain should be moved inside the park as the current position on the axis of main streets is too dangerous. 

"Fountain of Neptune" by Giambologna, not far from the Chinese Pavilion

Thus , people can visit the Atomium and exhibition buildings while walk in the park where they can find brasseries and playgrounds until they reach both museums that they can visit. Different formulas of tickets should exist to visit one, or more museums with a combi ticket. This way this part of Brussels becomes also more attractive for tourists while it earns money for the owner and city, money that can be used to maintain the beautiful park but also its museums. 

Hallepoort / Porte de Hal

There is also the Hallepoort / Porte de Halle, located in a small park in Saint Gilles, one of the 19 towns in the metropolitan of Brussels. This area is home to many beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, but also nice bars and restaurants. Why not create a ticket in associating with the surrounding catering so people who visit the medieval museum can have a reduction on certain menus. Such a ticket may also allow a visit to another museum such as the Horta Museum or another lesser-known museum in a district of Brussels a little further so people will discover more from greater Brussels. This way more people may visit the gate so it generate money for its owner to keep this building open while also the whole area will benefit.

The medieval gate the Hallepoort / Porte de Hal, that was the gate to enter or leave the city is situated in a part of Brussels with beautiful buildings of which many are in Art Nouveau. Further, the regions has a number of pleasant bars and restaurants.

The RMAH could sell combi tickets in collaboration with local businesses. Doing so, more of Brussels will benefit from tourism, and not mainly the centre around the Grote Markt / Grand Place that has become too much focused on tourism with many tourist shops and too few shops with higher quality products. This way the buildings can remain property of the RMAH and thus Belgium, or can be sold to Brussels as they will generate sufficient money, not only for the maintenance of the buildings and parks, but also for the area where they are located and thus be integrated in the wider community. 

Of course, the Chinese Pavilion and other buildings can become restaurants or shops, in that case they shouldn't be too expensive or they become exclusive instead of inclusive. Up to Belgium and the city to decide the future of these buildings. But, hopefully they don't wait too long or certain closed buildings may become too dangerous to restore.