I leave it to my fellow Spotter Wouter to talk about football in Brussels. I prefer architecture much more !

During one of my walks around the city, I bumped into the Joseph Marien Stadium in Forest. It almost doesn’t look like a stadium – it could pass it for a simple house with a fascinating 101.4m long facade though.

If you are used already to the architecture of Brussels, you won’t be surprise to find out that this stadium is also a fine example of Art Deco.

Back in the beginning of the 20th century, l’Union Saint-Gilloise was the best football club in the country. They needed a proper stadium for their supporters.

It was April 1926 when building works started and at the end of August of the same year it was completed and inaugurated. That’s a record!

I spent some time checking the facade and noticed the 7-carped panels sculpted by Oscar De Clerck. They depict the 2 disciplines that made the Saint-Gillois club famous, namely: athletics and football.

I am just fascinated by all these different kinds of applied Art Deco in Brussels!