In Brussels, certain places tell the city’s story better than any museum. This is the case with Cité Hellemans, discreetly nestled between Rue Haute and Rue Blaes in the Marolles. Behind its quiet alleys and colorful brick facades, however, lies a true urban revolution. Inaugurated in 1915, this social housing complex was one of the first to offer modern apartment buildings right in the heart of the capital. More than a century later, it remains a powerful symbol of working-class Brussels.
From dead-end streets of poverty to a model housing estate
At the turn of the 20th century, the block wedged between these two Marolles streets was a veritable brick hell. More than two thousand people were crammed into about a hundred dilapidated shacks, sharing communal latrines and living without running water. In 1903, the City commissioned architect and urban planner Émile Hellemans to assess the situation —and the report was damning. His conclusion: tear it all down and build something else. Something better. For the same residents.
Hellemans, the architect who believed in the poor
That is where the stroke of genius lies . Rather than driving the most disadvantaged to the outskirts, as was the practice in major urban projects of the time, Hellemans designed a housing complex specifically for them. Seven parallel apartment blocks, separated by wide, light-filled pedestrian walkways, connected by arcaded passageways. Each apartment has running water, a private bathroom, and a storage cellar. An unheard-of luxury for these families. The inner alleys bear the names of the Marolles’ traditional trades: Chimney Sweeps, Chair Makers, Coopers… A way of weaving the neighborhood’s memory into the very stone.
A gem to (re)discover
Inaugurated in 1915, the Cité Hellemans has aged, been renovated, and then aged again . Since then , restored by the Brussels Region, it has regained its original splendor: red and yellow bricks, delicate ironwork, and Art Nouveau-style sculpted details. It continues to house social housing, true to its original purpose. A visit is a must, if only to stroll through its narrow streets with their old-fashioned names and look up at these facades that tell stories better than any museum. A hidden gem that reminds us that Brussels sometimes hides its most beautiful stories behind the most modest facades.
📍Address: Its main entrance is located at 174-198 Rue Blaes, 1000 Brussels.
