Overview

In Belgium, the first telephone line was installed in Parliament in 1879. It was not long before a number of private entrepreneurs saw the potential of this new sector and filed applications for operations all over the country. In 1896, however, a public utility company was set up to prevent abuse. The telephone was a great success, but the First World War brought its expansion to a halt. Finally, the Régie des Télégraphes et des Téléphones was created in 1930, and the number of subscribers continued to grow, to the point where the company, now known as RTT, was allocated a new building for its administrative services, commissioned by the Belgian government in 1935 from architect Michel Polak. Already responsible for plans for the Résidence Palace and the Villa Empain, this graduate of Zurich’s École Polytechnique delivered an imposing modernist-style building with facades clad in blue and white stone at the front, and yellow and red brick at the back and sides. Window valances punctuate each floor, a horizontality that is not broken by the two observation turrets at the top, which were used at the time to study parasites. After the Second World War, the building was doubled in size, bringing the number of experimental turrets to four. The building’s interior has been meticulously preserved, as evidenced by its beautifully laid-out corridors, elegant sliding windows and high-quality metal elements, from stair railings to ornamental ironwork. In collaboration with the Municipality of Schaerbeek and the Commission Communautaire Française (COCOF). The guided tour includes a ride in a lift.

Practical information

Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00

rue des Palais 42, 1030 Schaerbeek

Advance booking required.

Non accessible

Bookings

Select the time slot that suits you and make your reservation online.

Saturday 20/09/25 Select your time slot

• 10:00 > 11:15 FR 17 pl.
• 10:15 > 11:30 NL 20 pl.
• 11:30 > 12:45 FR 18 pl.
• 11:45 > 13:00 EN 20 pl.
• 13:45 > 15:00 FR 17 pl.
• 14:00 > 15:15 NL 18 pl.
• 15:15 > 16:30 FR 12 pl.
• 15:30 > 16:45 NL 15 pl.
• 16:45 > 18:00 FR 1 pl.
• 17:00 > 18:15 EN 15 pl.

Sunday 21/09/25 Select your time slot

• 10:00 > 11:15 FR 12 pl.
• 10:15 > 11:30 NL 18 pl.
• 11:30 > 12:45 FR 15 pl.
• 11:45 > 13:00 EN 15 pl.
• 13:45 > 15:00 FR 12 pl.
• 14:00 > 15:15 NL 19 pl.
• 15:15 > 16:30 FR 14 pl.
• 15:30 > 16:45 NL 20 pl.
• 16:45 > 18:00 FR 15 pl.
• 17:00 > 18:15 EN 10 pl.

Address
rue des Palais 42, 1030 Schaerbeek