Salvaging construction materials in Brussels, 1900-1925

This paper studies the demolition and salvage process of construction materials in Brussels in the early twentieth century (1900-1925), a period that is generally considered as a turning point in the reuse practice of construction materials but has not been researched into depth. The paper is based on an analysis of the pho-tographic collection of the Comité d’Etudes du Vieux Bruxelles, the building specifications of public sales of buildings to be demolished and the municipal council reports. This gives insights into the process of demolish-ing buildings and the profile of the contractors involved, and offers a first glimpse of the selling and reusing of these building materials. With this case of the City of Brussels and via the study of these specific sources we aim to enlarge the knowledge of historic salvage of construction materials.

ISBN:978-1-032-00199-9

Publication year:2021

Keywords:Construction History, circular building, 20th century, Brussels (Belgium)

Accessibility:Open