Towering above the intersection of the E40 and the Brussels Ring road stands the Signaal van Zellik. For over half a century this concrete sculpture has greeted drivers entering Brussels from the north.
Jacques Moeschal a Brussels artist and architect designed the Signaal van Zellik. The ministry gave the task for the design in 1959 and it was executed in 1963. Moeschal collaborated with the Lipsky design office and engineer Gustave Moussiaux for the technical calculations. Louis De Waele carried out the works.
Moeschal was renowned for his monumental architectural sculptures. He found inspiration in progress and technology. The Signaal van Zellik embodies the optimism of Belgium’s post-war era. Cars and concrete symbolized a brighter future. This sculpture represents the worldview that defined urban development in the 1960s and 1970s.
Moeschal often worked closely with engineers. He aimed to push technical boundaries using modern materials. These materials included concrete Corten steel and stainless steel. The Signaal van Zellik is 23 meters tall. It features a concrete column supporting a curve. The curve appears to both open and close. The concrete column is hollow. The 30-meter curve was cast on site.
Moeschal first gained recognition for his “Arrow of Civil Engineering” at the Expo 58. He created that sculpture with architect Van Dosselaere and engineer Paduart. It was a concrete sculpture with an overhang of more than 80 meters. Sadly it was demolished in 1970.
After that Moeschal became known for his monumental “signals”. These marked landscapes worldwide. Many stood along highways. One example is the signal in Hensies on the French-Belgian border. Moeschal believed humans always mark their paths. These marks provide help guidance and assurance. He wanted to place such marks on the new highways. These highways represented the genius of our time. His sculptures are simple abstract forms. Their monumental scale makes them visible to all passersby.
The Signaal van Zellik was Moeschal’s first monumental signal. Despite the changes to its surroundings after the Brussels ring road extension in the late 1970s the sculpture remains legible. It stands as a testament to a bygone era of optimism. A symbol of progress through concrete and cars.