Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | This article investigates the role of Expo 58, the first post-war world’s fair, in thedevelopment of contemporary planning strategies for administrative and culturalcomplexes in Brussels. It argues that the Belgian government used this Mega Event as acatalyst for the construction of high-prestige buildings situated in a central zone within thecapital. It examines the early planning initiatives of the government-commissioned Cite´administrative and its connections with Expo 58, thereby highlighting the engagement ofthe Belgian Welfare State with modern architecture in the planning of prestige projects.This article thus argues for an understanding of the great event and the Cite´ administrativeas part of the post-war government’s ‘Exhibitionary Complex’, and using the case ofBrussels suggests ways in which the impact of Mega Events could extend beyond theirmaterial remains. |
