South Palace

The South Palace was built following the covering of the river Senne (1867–1871), carried out under the tenure of the then-mayor of the City of Brussels, Jules Anspach. The objective was to stimulate commercial activity in the southern section of the Central Boulevards, considered less prestigious by the bourgeoisie of the time. Construction began in 1875, commissioned by the , and was completed in 1880. The building was designed by the local architect , who also designed the , the former main office of the Belgian National Bank. ==Description==

An imposing commercial complex in eclectic style, described at the time as a "disastrous undertaking" by the specialist press, the building is decorated in blue and white stone. Above a ground floor of display windows, the upper floors feature large bays, made possible by the use of a metallic structure. Using neoclassical elements for decorative purposes, the architect opted for the same colossal pilasters across the entire façade, which forced him to multiply the transitional elements to adapt them to the different elevations. This resulted in a profusion of decoration, further emphasised by Second Empire-style ornamentation (rosettes, friezes of meanders or acanthus leaves, festoons, mascarons, lion heads, bee motifs and symbols of Hermes). The immense quadrangle surrounds two vast inner courtyards, originally glazed, separated by a covered passageway called the / ("Work Passage"). The corners and central sections are covered with monumental gables that sometimes conceal the openings. File:Palais du Midi.jpg|Façade along the Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier/Maurice Lemonnierlaan File:Fronton-Palais du Midi.jpg|Pediment of the / ==See also==