Reading of Brussels' Palimpsest

A palimpsest is a word that was initially used to describe a document with several layers of text. By extension, it is also used to describe the fabric of cities, made out of many historical layers. However, unlike many cities, in Brussels, these layers can often be seen together, creating at times an interesting and almost surrealist collage. This collage of different layers is explored in two stages. First, the city is understood from its main infrastructures and its institutional buildings. This provides an overview of the evolution of the city’s framework. Second, the city is explored through its domestic fabric, displaying how the architecture of housing has evolved over time