600 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEITM, 1903. 



inusoum halls of such a width oiij^ht not to bo obstructed by columns, 

 as is universally the case. On the window side of the half with a 

 double-g-lass roof there is a gallery 3.25 meters broad (in its first sec- 

 tion still broader), intended for the cave finds, as well as for the living 

 and fossil fishes of Belgium and its colonies, A similar gallery runs 

 along the rear narrow side of the hall. The four sections of the floor 

 and ceiling, which are of different elevations, are 24.8, 18.6, 18.6, and 

 21.8 meters long. In the second (intermediate) story are located for a 

 length of 91.3 meters and a width of 15 meters, besides a stairway, hall, 

 and two office rooms, 11 workrooms adjoining one another, each 9.8 

 meters long, 6.2 meters wide, and 4.75 meters high. At the rear end 

 there are three library rooms of the same dimensions. In front of 

 these rooms there is a corridor 3 meters wide and 3 meters high, from 

 which anterooms (without windows) 2.2 meters wide and 3 meters 

 high lead into the workrooms. In the third story, again, there is an 

 exhibition hall 84.26 meters long and 15 meters wide, for the recent and 

 fossil invertebrate animals, the fossil floras, the minerals, and precious 

 stones of Belgium and its colonies. It has five different elevations, 

 rising like steps, and on each level horizontal cases underneath are 

 intended. Therefore there are about 400 running meters of horizontal 

 cases in five series, rising one above the other, with longitudinal pas- 

 sages and cross ways between, the latter with stairs. The ascending 

 of this hall afforded suflicient extra space in the second (intermedi- 

 ate) story for workrooms. Its lighting is excellent; the long side at 

 the foot of the step-like installation of horizontal cases is one com- 

 bined glass window (glass partition wall). In addition, a row of upper 

 windows on the opposite half of the roof throws light directly on these 

 horizontal cases. The height of this hall varies between 2 and 7 

 meters, being 2 meters at the top and 7 meters at the foot of the step- 

 like construction. 



A better utilization of the space is hardly imaginable, and what 

 should be particularly noticed is the fact that no superfluous space (nor 

 likewise money) is expended on the stair hall, as is the case in most 

 museums. This stair hall is built in front and not inside of the build- 

 ing, and is only 17 meters long and 7.1 meters deep. Each story is 

 directl}' connected with the old museum. 



I do not go into further detail on account of the unfinished condi- 

 tion of the building, but I would advise ever}^ architect who has a 

 museum to design to scrutinize closely that of Brussels. It is a 

 departure from every other structure of its kind because it is adapted 

 to the original exhibition plan of the director. Mr. E. Dupont has 

 throughout his entire life had in view the establishment of a Belgian 

 national museum based on the researches that have been made in 

 that eountiT. so taking the national collections as a nucleus for this, 

 he shaped his plans accordingly, the collections from other parts of 



