The contest, "Brussels Courthouse, Imagine the Future!" aims at developing a view of the future of the Courthouse in the form of one or more ideas, including the broad lines of an architectural and urban planning project for the Courthouse and the surroundings of Place Poelaert. This is an open and creative international contest. The concepts submitted shall treat the building as a monument and consider the meaning of this place within a contemporary context.

The organizers wish to keep this line of approach as broad as possible. The purpose of this contest is not to submit a finalized urban planning or architectural project to the Belgian Buildings Agency and the FPS Justice but to imagine the future allocation – whether judicial or not – of the Brussels Courthouse and of the surroundings of Place Poelaert.

It is suggested that the participants work on one or on both of the following scenarios:
1. Either a scenario based on a Courthouse (partially) keeping its judicial functions, e.g. the court of appeal (civil section), the Court of Cassation, the Public Prosecutor’s office of the Court of Cassation, the court of assize and the bars.

2. or a scenario based on a Courthouse totally cleared of its judicial functions and to imagine (objective of the contest):
• What appearance would the Courthouse have after an architectural intervention, which must however not damage the heritage it represents?
• How does the above-mentioned proposal integrate into the surroundings of Place Poelaert, for which other development possibilities may also be submitted?
• What would be the Courthouse’s new functions?
• How would citizens and Legal professionals perceive this building once it is modernized?
• What would be the new urban juncture of this building between the upper and lower part of the City of Brussels?