By: David Wang

10+ years ago, André Demesmaeker, an architect of the Belgian government, was assigned to investigate a ceiling collapse in the Palace of Justice. The Palace was built in the 1800’s and resides in Brussels. In the Palace, the country’s judiciary system is housed, and when Mr. Demesmaeker started exploring, he discovered the whole thing was a treasure trove of historical secrets.

But the damage was severe, with water seeping in, fungi growing, homeless people breaking in and many rooms unused and/or falling apart. Plus, there was a whole lot more going on–problems, problems, problems everywhere. The restoration was ongoing since 2010 and the Palace was even given the nickname the “Palace of Scaffolding” due to even the scaffolding needing repair.

So, why is work still unfinished? Firstly, red tape and government support–too much of the former and too little of the latter. Ministers critical to the project usually hail from Flanders, having little interest in a project in Brussels. Secondly, the Palace is old, and many old problems have led to new ones, all needing solutions. Thirdly, space and location are also major headaches. The Palace is in the city’s center and only one facade can be renovated at a time. Each requires 2 years, a hefty budget and political will.

4 years after the investigation, Mr. Demesmaeker was put in charge, and work quickly followed. He hopes that the Palace will be finished by 2030, before Belgium’s 200th birthday.

Back when the Palace opened in 1883, it was the world’s largest building and now takes up 9 blocks of downtown Brussels. At this point though, it’s basically a monument to the country’s crumbling government. Belgium’s government is falling apart because they have 3 official languages, French, Dutch and German. In addition, it has 6 parliaments, a separatist movement and over a dozen political parties. As a result, politics can get and have gotten, very messy.

Mr. Demesmaeker’s job would be perfect for a multilingual politician good at finances. He admits he is not that, as he wanted to become a pharmacist during his teen years. He couldn’t stand being stuck in a lab though, so at 29 he became a freelance architect. He liked being outdoors on a building site, so the job sounded perfect. He also enjoys finding out about the mysteries of things. For career stability, he joined the Belgian Buildings Agency. Despite his shortcomings, he’s perfect for the job because he genuinely loves the Palace and hopes it will one day be reopened completely to the public.

Still, work is moving along, and everyone is hopeful. Even if the Palace is unfinished by 2030, he wants to refurbish everything before his retirement. He is over 50 now and still loves the Palace immensely, even collecting debris from it. Maybe the Palace will be fixed before Belgium’s 200th birthday. Who knows?