Overview

In 1933, Joseph Diongre won the competition to design the new home of the National Institute of Radio Broadcasting. He worked with different engineers to meet the technical requirements of the future buildings. One of them, Raymond Braillard, was responsible for the large corner turret. The modernist-style building was also inspired by the International style in vogue in the Netherlands at the time, while its Streamline Moderne silhouette and interior decor are tacitly reminiscent of Art Deco. Diongre, who blended bluestone with Foucquemberg yellow-ochre sandstone brick, endowed each floor with continuous glazing in the entablature, thus endorsing its horizontal approach. He designed rounded corners to soften the building’s imposing appearance. Work began in 1933 and was completed in 1938. The seven-storey building on the Place Flagey side, with six storeys on the Place Sainte-Croix side, had a powerful foundation of 836 concrete piles anchored into the ground. There are no fewer than twelve recording studios, including the famous Studio 4 with its 8,000-pipe organ. The astonishing acoustic qualities are complemented by the meticulous finish of a décor based on the extensive use of wood. The complex was put up for sale, and bought in 1998 by the limited company Maison de la Radio Flagey. It was fully restored. Today, Flagey is home to a unique audiovisual hub in Brussels, offering studios, concert halls, cinemas, offices and restaurants/bars. It proposes festivals and a rich programme of classical music, jazz and cinema. (CL 28/04/1994) In collaboration with Arkadia (FR) and Korei Guided Tours (NL/EN). Photographs are permitted, but only with smartphones.

Practical information

Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00

place Sainte-Croix, 1050 Ixelles

Advance booking required.

Accessible with assistance

Bookings

Fully booked.

Address
place Sainte-Croix, 1050 Ixelles