Joseph Poelaert
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| Joseph Poelaert | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Joseph Poelaert |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Birth date | 21 March 1817 |
| Birth place | Brussels, Belgium |
| Date of death | 3 November 1879 |
| Place of death | Brussels, Belgium |
| Work | |
| Significant buildings | Law Courts of Brussels |
Joseph Poelaert (21 March 1817 – 3 November 1879) was a Belgian architect. His most important creations were the monumental Law Courts of Brussels (Justitiepaleis/Palais de Justice), the Congress Column and the Churches Sainte-Cathérine/Kathelijnkerk in Brussels, and Onze-Lieve Vrouw/Notre-Dame in Laeken.
He also led the restoration works of the Théatre Royal de la Monnaie/Koninklijke Muntschouwburg in Brussels after the fire of 1855. The magnificent auditorium of this theatre, still in use today, was designed by Poelaert.
[edit] Trivia
The inhabitants of the Marollen quarter, a working-class neighbourhood next to the Law Courts, used to call him the “Skieven Architect” which roughly means ‘the crooked architect’ because he often drove the inhabitants out of their houses with the help of the local police to make room for the construction of the Law Courts.
