Question. Ever wondered who Lèon Monnoyer was and why this quai bears his name? This is Quai Lèon Monnoyer. It is more than just a street. It is a testament to a man who helped shape Brussels’ port.
Lèon Monnoyer was a pioneer. He championed reinforced concrete in Belgium. Monnoyer greatly promoted the development of the Port of Brussels. The city honored him with this quai in 1932. This happened five years after his death.
Quai Lèon Monnoyer is key to Brussels’ avant-port. It sits downstream from the Van Praet bridge. Here, the canal widens. It forms a terminus for sea vessels.
The Belgian state acquired land here in 1897. This was in the Mon Plaisir plain. The avant-port project took shape after Brussels annexed the area. This annexation occurred in 1921. It took land from Laeken, Neder-Over-Heembeek, Haren, Schaerbeek, and Evere. The general plan was approved in 1927. Work continued for about ten years.
The eastern bank of the canal used to be a long strip of land. It was bordered by Vilvoorde Avenue and the Schaerbeek train station. The Senne River ran through its center. Various industries set up shop here from the 19th century. They were near Rupel Street. The Senne’s course was vaulted beyond the future Avant-Port and Lion streets. This allowed a road to be built.
North of this road, the quai belonged to the Société anonyme du Canal. It also belonged to the Maritime Installations of Brussels. This area housed hangars and material depots. A network of railways connected them to the Brussels-Malines line. South of the road, the land was reserved for commerce. Hangars and industrial buildings appeared in the late 1930s.
Three major companies occupied the first block in the early 20th century. This was between Lambermont Boulevard and Avant-Port Street. Capellemans’ soda and vitriol factory stood at the corner of Rupel Street. It became the Laeken Chemical Products Factory before 1903. The Brussels Electricity Company’s power plant was in the center. Founded in 1906, it supplied power to the state railways. Ricquier Mills was established to the east around 1908. It became the Grands Moulins de Bruxelles around 1927. These three companies’ buildings were demolished in the 1960s and 1970s.
Today, most of the block is occupied by the electricity supplier Elia. Elia built its headquarters on the chemical factory site. This was between 2009 and 2013. It manages a power plant built before 2004 on the old plant’s site. Only one building from the latter remains. It is number 5 Quai Monnoyer. This narrow structure is perpendicular to the canal. It features iron framework and brick construction. Metal passageways line it. A blind façade with neoclassical inspiration faces the quai. Likely dating back to the 1920s, it housed the control room. The bays on the northeast façade have been walled up.
The Brussels North Incinerator now stands where the mill once was. It is number 8 Quai Monnoyer. It was designed in 1977. It began operation in 1985. The heat from burning household waste is converted into steam. This steam is supplied to the neighboring power plant.
The port’s captain’s office is located beyond Avant-Port Street. It has been in a building with concrete module façades since the 1970s. Just east, the Trimodal Terminal Brussels opened in 2001. A metal gantry dominates it. A long warehouse built around 1935 by the Canal Company stood here until the late 1990s. Its tiered façade allowed direct transfer of goods from ships using cranes.
Today, Quai Lèon Monnoyer houses a material recycling center. There is also a transport and logistics company. A cement plant is here too. These are still served by railways.
So, as you stand here on Quai Lèon Monnoyer, remember the man. Remember the industrial history. Remember the vital role this quai plays in Brussels’ port. It is a place of industry. It is a testament to a visionary.