Rue Emmanuel Mertens – Emmanuel Mertensstraat

In 1847, a narrow path, barely five feet wide, meandered through the fields where Rue Emmanuel Mertens now lies. This path, known as Sentier De Kelle, appears on the vicinal roads atlas of that year. It was a humble country lane, a world away from the bustling street we see today. Rue Emmanuel Mertens stands as a testament to the passage of time and the growth of Brussels. The transformation began in the early 1900s. Modest, two-story workers’ houses, many showcasing the colorful eclectic style of the era, sprung up along the future Rue Emmanuel Mertens between 1911 and 1936. This construction predates the official widening and alignment of the road, which was ratified by royal decree on November 10, 1931. Imagine the foresight of the commune, ensuring proper alignment even before the road was fully formed. They marked the placement of each new building, creating two perfectly aligned rows of houses, twelve meters apart. Examples of these early homes, though some have since been modified, can still be seen at numbers 31 and 50. Number 31 was designed by architect P. L. Verbist in 1913. Number 50 was the work of architect P. Vangrinderbeek in 1927. As we stroll down Rue Emmanuel Mertens, picture the evolution of the street. The 1930s brought larger, three-story single-family homes, mainly in the lower part of the street. While traditional aesthetics prevailed, hints of Art Deco began to emerge. Look for numbers 67, 69, and 71, all built in 1936. These offer glimpses into the changing architectural tastes of the time. Architect N. Dubois likely designed number 67, while Léon Van Buggenhout designed numbers 69 and 71. The post-war era saw further development. Single-family homes and apartment buildings filled in remaining plots in the late 1940s and 1950s. At number 56, a 1949 apartment building by architect François Mees offers a late example of Art Deco style. Finally, in the 1960s, the last vacant lots welcomed functionalist apartment buildings. Rue Emmanuel Mertens, once a simple country path, now reflects over a century of architectural and urban development.