Poelaert Elevators

The Poelaert Elevators (French: Ascenseurs Poelaert, Dutch: Poelaertliften),[1][2] in popular language Elevators of the Marolles (French: Ascenseurs des Marolles,[3][4] Dutch: Liften van de Marollen[5]) is a public elevator in the Marolles/Marollen district of Brussels, Belgium. It connects the lower and upper town at the Square Breughel l'Ancien/Breughel de Oudeplein with the Place Poelaert/Poelaertplein,[1] in the vicinity of the Palace of Justice. The elevator consists of two independent elevators, hence the plural elevators (French: ascenseurs, Dutch: liften) sometimes used for its name.

Poelaert Elevators
Ascenseurs Poelaert (French)
Poelaertliften (Dutch)
View of the lift from the Square Breughel l'Ancien/Breughel de Oudeplein
Alternative namesAscenseurs des Marolles (French)
Liften van de Marollen (Dutch)
General information
LocationMarollen
Town or cityCity of Brussels
CountryBelgium
Coordinates50°50′16.9″N 4°21′04″E
InauguratedJune 2002
Renovated2021
Cost78 million Belgian francs
OwnerSTIB/MIVB
Height27.7 m (91 ft)
Technical details
Lifts/elevators2
Design and construction
Architect(s)Patrice Neirinck
Architecture firmAVA Architects
Main contractorCFE
Renovating team
Structural engineerVan Eycken Metal Construction
Other information
Seating capacity32

Construction

The idea of building a means of transport connecting the Marolles/Marollen neighbourhood and the Place Poelaert/Poelaertplein is much older; in the 19th century, it was proposed to build a funicular for this purpose.[3] In the early 1990s, the architect Patrice Neirinck of AVA Architects promoted the concept of building a vertical elevator.[6] The proposal sought to "open up the Marolles district" and "revitalise the Square Breughel l'Ancien/Breughel de Oudeplein",[7] located at the bottom, making it a crossing point.[6]

CFE was appointed as the general contractor, and the supply of the two elevators and the electromechanical systems were provided by Schindler Group.[1] The architectural project was executed by the AVA Architects office, under the coordination of the architect Patrice Neirinck, while the Verdeyen & Moenaert took care of the stability study.[3]

The construction cost about 78 million Belgian francs (equivalent to about €2 million),[6] of which 51 million francs (about €1.25 million) for the bulk of the investment, and 27 million francs (about €676,000) for the elevators. Funding was provided by the Brussels-Capital Region and the Belgian Federal Government under a cooperation agreement. The Ministry of Communications and Infrastructure was in charge of the project management, receiving technical assistance from the Directorate of Electromechanical Constructions.[3]

After the construction of the tower, the future metal walkway was installed between the upper part and the Place Poelaert. The 36-metre-long (118 ft) walkway was made at Geel, Antwerp, and transported to Brussels by a special convoy, arriving on the esplanade at the Palace of Justice around 10:00 on 13 October 2001.[3] The entire lift was inaugurated in June 2002[6] and became one of the area's most popular tourist attractions.[8] Its administration and operation was entrusted by the municipality to the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB/MIVB).[4][3]

Operation

The operation of the new elevator was marked by numerous technical problems,[9] the first being reported only one month after the inauguration, on 21 July 2002.[10] In 2019, for example, STIB/MIVB had to intervene a total of 131 times to remedy the faults that occurred at the two elevators: 43 wedges in one of them, 88 wedges in the other. The main reasons that led to the shutdown of the elevators were the unfavorable weather conditions and vandalism.[4]

In April 2018, 1,300 colored T-shirts were hung from the structure of the elevator, as part of the work entitled If I Had Wings, a cultural experiment by Finnish artist Kaarina Kaikkonen.[5]

In July 2020, the Minister for Mobility and Public Works of the Brussels-Capital Region, Elke Van den Brandt, confirmed that the lift would be rehabilitated in the first quarter of 2021.[4]

About a million people use the elevator every year.[6]

  • View from the base of the elevator
    View from the base of the elevator
  • The metal walkway leading to the elevator
    The metal walkway leading to the elevator
  • View from the Place Poelaert/Poelaertplein
    View from the Place Poelaert/Poelaertplein

Specifications

The Poelaert Elevators have the following specifications:[6]

Specifications
Characteristics Value
Number of elevators 2
Height 27.70 m
Walkway length 35.50 m
Total weight 100 t
Max load 1,250 kg (16 people per cabin)
Speed 1 m/s

References

Notes
  1. "staal_acier_05" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Constructie van de Poelaertliften". Beliris (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  3. "Bruxelles La passerelle de l'ascenseur des Marolles est arrivée samedi Réconcilier le haut et le bas de la ville MODE D'EMPLOI". Le Soir Plus (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  4. "Les ascenseurs des Marolles seront rénovés en 2021". BX1 (in French). 7 July 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. "Lift Marollen in nieuw kleedje". www.bruzz.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  6. "Un ascenseur pour faire revivre la gare de Jonfosse ?". www.schreuer.org (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  7. "ARCHI URBAIN (02/26) : AVA / Ascenseur Place Poelaert – ARCHI URBAIN" (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  8. "Les Marolles".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Lift tussen Marollen en het Poelaertplein in panne". www.bruzz.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  10. Sports+, DH Les (30 July 2002). "Les premiers ratés de l'ascenseur des Marolles". DH Les Sports + (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
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