blast from the past: midi station
If you are familiar with today’s Brussels Midi (South) station it’s probably hard to imagine, but the city’s main international train stop wasn’t always the non-descript, uninviting place we find today.
Back in the 1860′s a grand neoclassical station was built just south of the city centre te accomodate a booming number of train passengers. The building designed by architect Auguste Payen replaced an older and much smaller station that was located next to today’s place Rouppe.
The grand steel and glass station hall and the long façade featuring classic columns and triomphalist statues were dismantled in 1949 to make way for a new station designed by Adrien Blomme, his son Yvan, and Fernand Petit. The new building was no longer a terminal but a functionalist through station, with the tracks about 6 metres above ground level. This facilitated the connection with the new Central Station (opened in 1952) and the North Station via a bridge and tunnel (the so-called North-South-Junction).
The arrival of high-speed rail in the 1990′s brought another makeover for the station. The charachteristic clock tower on the westside was demolished, killing the station’s soul for good. Today’s generic interior feels more like a hybrid between an airport and a mall than a historic train station. Passengers that venture outside are discouraged to walk into the surrounding neighbourhoods by disorienting and unwelcoming public spaces (except maybe during the popular Sunday market).
Back in 2010 the Belgian railways unveiled a plan to revamp Midi station once again with a landmark design by Jean Nouvel but his plan was shelved soon after. Without clear ambition for the future of the railhub, passengers and residents have been waiting for a new vision that’s worthy of Midi’s status as a major international gateways to the city.