I am a "Flagey" fan. The 'steamboat' is a special landmark and institution in my Brussels' city district, Ixelles.
The Flagey building has a rich 75 year history and celebrations are well on the way. It was the former home to the National Institute for Radio Broadcasting, and is very much appreciated today for its exquisite acoustic proprieties. Contrary to what I've read here and there, Mr. Flagey was not the architect of the building - he was the mayor of Ixelles from 1935 to 1953.
I already mentioned the anniversary celebration when talking about Amos Oz' visit. Here are a few birthday shots, with the swinging Matthew Herbert Big Band in action as the closing concert of the Winter Jazz Festival.
"At the end of 1933, a competition was organised that was won by the Belgian architect Joseph Diongre. His design combined architectural innovation with the strictest acoustic and technical requirements. The most original aspect of the project was the fully-fledged status accorded the public, which was clearly expressed in the building's architectural elaboration. The architect also paid particular attention to detail, the materials used and had furniture designed that was specially adapted to the building. Thanks to the simplicity and pragmatism inherent in his design, between 1935 and 1938 Diongre was able to build the much-needed “sound factory”, one of the first broadcasting buildings in Europe. From the moment of its inauguration, the steamboat won international acclaim. The inherent qualities of the studios (especially Studio 4) were praised throughout the world and attracted the most prestigious musicians of the century (classical, contemporary and jazz) for concerts and festivals as well as for recordings".http://www.flagey.be/en/history
