The former covered market in eclectic Renaissance style, built in 1900 under the direction of the municipal architect H. Jaumot and the engineer Pirotte, converted from the 1970s into a cultural centre. This market follows a first covered building, one of the oldest in the Brussels region, built between 1864 and 1865 by the municipal architect Gustave Hansotte, then destroyed by a fire in 1898. Construction of the new complex, entrusted to the building contractor Bertaux father and son, began in August 1900 and was completed with an inauguration in October 1901. Harmoniously blending metal, glass and stone, the set consists of three separate volumes: a large hall perpendicular to rue Royale Sainte-Marie, dedicated to the sale of meat, fruit and vegetables, as well as textile stalls on the mezzanine floor; a smaller hall, located at the back of the previous one and opening onto rue de la Constitution, intended for the fish trade; finally, a third space, a narrow passage along the right flank of the large hall, reserved for the sale of butter and cheese. Today, "Les Halles" is a cultural centre and the old volumes have become theatres.
