Decay in the Far East

Decaying Japanese Tower and Chinese Pavilion in Brussels

During his visit to the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, Belgian King Leopold II was enchanted by the attraction Tour du Monde — a colourful collection of Japanese towers, Chinese gateways, and galleries in Hindu style.

All architectural styles from the Far East were mixed there. Such an eye-catcher was still missing in his home city of Brussels. So Leopold II turned to the structure’s architect, the Frenchman Alexandre Marcel, asking him to create something similar in his own backyard.

Far East Near Brussels

Less than a year after the Paris World’s Fair, architect Marcel began construction of the Japanese Tower, the Chinese Pavilion, a kiosk, and an annexe building in Brussels.