Known as the “Maison du Roi”, the building facing the Town Hall on the Grand-Place houses the Museum of the City of Brussels. This municipal museum was created in 1887 at the initiative of the then mayor, Charles Buls, to present the history of the city and its artistic crafts in an educational way. Its rich collections include remarkable Brussels altarpieces, porcelain, paintings and many representative objects.
The building’s neo-Gothic style is the work of architect Victor Jamaer, who was commissioned to rebuild the former “Maison du Roi” after its demolition in 1876-1877. To restore its former splendour, Jamaer drew on archival documents, archaeological study of the earlier building and other contemporary examples. Its unique location on the Grand-Place anchors it firmly in the Brussels landscape, while its collections explain in detail the development of a city with a fascinating history. (Listed since 09/03/1936)