Place de la Bourse, Brussels


The Place de la Bourse or Beursplein, meaning "Stock Exchange Square", is a major square in central Brussels, Belgium. The former Brussels Stock Exchange building, of which it takes its name, is located on this square. It is served by the premetro station Bourse/Beurse on lines 3 and 4.

History

The Place de la Bourse was laid out following the covering of the Senne, as part of the major urban works by architect Léon Suys under the tenure of then-mayor of the City of Brussels, Jules Anspach. Centrally located halfway down Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan, it served as the focal point of Suys' sanitation and beautification programme for the city.
Nowadays, the square is used as a gathering place and many important events are organised there. Since 29 June 2015, it has been part of a large pedestrian zone in the centre of Brussels. In the aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings, it was used as an impromptu memorial. On 11 November 2017, a major riot broke out from the square.

Buildings around the square

On the south-eastern side of the Place de la Bourse, the Brussels Stock Exchange building occupies the site of the former butter market, itself built over the remains of the 13th-century Récollets Franciscan convent. The eclectic building mixes borrowings from the neo-Renaissance and Second Empire styles in a profusion of ornaments and sculptures by renowned artists including Auguste Rodin. The building is to reopen in 2023 as a museum of Belgian beer.

Location and accessibility

The Place de la Bourse lies at the conjunction of Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan to the north and south with several smaller streets on its north-western side; Rue Paul Devaux/Paul Devauxstraat, Rue Auguste Orts/Auguste Ortsstraat, and Rue Jules Van Praet/Jules Van Praetstraat. Additionally, two sides streets, running along each side of the Stock Exchange building, lead into it from the south-east; Rue Henri Maus/Henri Mausstraat and Rue de la Bourse/Beursstraat.