“Our cemetery must have the appearance of a large park,” said Jules Anspach, mayor of Brussels. It was therefore landscape architect Fuchs, rather than an architect, who was entrusted with its layout. The cemetery’s 38 hectares contain graves, but also a water feature with a meditation garden, beehives, an orchard and fallow lawns that encourage biodiversity. Paths wind around the plots, and enclosures are marked by hedges. The plan speaks of avenues and roundabouts, as in a city centre, creating fine perspectives. Everything was designed to give this cemetery, the largest in the Brussels Region, the character of a park and a place for walking.
Although surrounded by busy urban roads, it has a distinctive and calming atmosphere. This place of remembrance, with graves that tell both intimate and broader histories, is also a space for strolling and reflection.