Public tender launched to renovate Cinquantenaire park

A public tender has been launched for a contract for the redevelopment of Cinquantenaire park, including the renovation of the sports grounds and footpaths.

Though less funding will be allocated to the renovation works than initially planned, the aim remains to ensure that the park is ready to welcome Belgium’s 200th anniversary in 2030.

The planned works are being overseen by Beliris, the cooperation agreement between the federal level and the Brussels region to provide various initiatives that highlight Brussels’ role as capital and international city.

The project includes the renovation of the green areas and plantings, the redevelopment of the footpaths and the redesign of the athletics track and sports fields.

A rainwater collection system will also be installed on the museum roofs, and certain monumental staircases will be refurbished. New lighting will be installed along the paths and historical heritage sites.

Beliris submitted a modification to the permit at the end of last month, with changes that include not extending the athletics track to today’s standard norms in order to preserve the symmetry of the park.

A number of less-used paths will not be fitted with lighting columns in order to prevent light pollution in the park. Only the central avenue and two paths running perpendicular to it will be lit throughout the night. The lights on the other paths will be switched off at midnight to protect the local fauna.

Other changes include more bicycle racks, specific brackets for cargo bikes and improved accessibility for people with reduced mobility.

Meanwhile, another Brussels landmark, the Congress Column, a monumental column commemorating the creation of the Belgian constitution, is also set to undergo thorough cleaning and maintenance.

The work will begin this month and take 60 working days, costing an estimated €582,800, the Buildings Agency announced.

Surface pollution will be removed and damaged natural stones will be repaired. The blue stone and Carrara marble will be treated using standard restoration techniques.

The Herzogenrath sandstone elements, which can be difficult to upkeep, will be treated in a specific manner in order to preserve them for the long term.

The inscriptions will also be given a new layer of gilding.

The Congress Column was erected between 1850 and 1859 by architect Joseph Poelaert and its last restoration campaign dates back to 2002.

The column tells the story of Belgium from September 1830 to July 1831. On the corners of the base stand four bronze figures, 3.5 metres high, representing fundamental freedoms; two bronze lions on the base frame the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame, added in November 1922 after the first world war; and a 4.70-metre-high statue of King Leopold I surmounts the column.

The work is being carried out with the financial support of the National Lottery, according to the Régie des Bâtiments.