STUDIES ON MUSEUMS AND KINDRED INSTITUTIONS. 



597 



XIV.— BRUSSELS. 



42. ROYAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OF BELGIUM. 



[Mus(?e Royal d'Histoire Naturi'lle de Belgiqiu-.] 



The Ro^^al Museum of Natural History of Belgium, which has l)econie 

 famous as reoards its contents and management under E. Dupoiit, 

 was ten 3'ears ago moved from the interior of the city (Place du Musee) 

 and installed in a rebuilt monaster}- in the suburbs, in a high and 

 somewhat isolated position. This, however, was only done with the 

 intention of erecting a new building close by. This has now been 

 undertaken; the house is under roof and will be ready for opening in 

 a year.« It is immediately adjacent to the present museum, and the 

 buildings will communicate with each other. It is intended for the 



Fig. 115.— Royal Museum of Natural History, Brussels, Belgium. One of the long sides of the 



building. 



prehistorical, paleontological, zoological, mineralogical, geological, 

 and botanical collections of Belgium. I regard this new building as 

 a model of its kind, and while it should not be imitated without modi- 

 fication, since from the start it has been specially adapted to the col- 

 lections to be exhibited, yet anyone can with profit adopt some of its 

 features in constructing a new^ museum building. Fig. 115 represents 

 a long side of the half-completed structure, wdiich adjoins the old 

 building at right angles. It is on rising ground. Fig. 110 represents 

 the narrow end, with the main entrance and stairway, as well as a 

 perspective view of the other long side, likewise in a half-completed 

 condition, and fig. 117 the main hall of the ground Hoor, half finished. 

 The ascending floor has ditl'erent elevations connected by steps. In 



« Will take some years longer to complete it — 1903. 



