Brussels International Exposition (1935)
1935 Brussels | |
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![]() Palais des Expositions built for the exhibition (2008) | |
Overview | |
BIE-class | Universal exposition |
Category | First category General Exposition |
Name | Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Bruxelles |
Building(s) | Palais des Expositions |
Area | 150 hectares (370 acres) |
Visitors | 20,000,000 |
Organized by | Joseph van Neck |
Participant(s) | |
Countries | 24 |
Location | |
Country | Belgium |
City | Brussels |
Venue | Heysel Park |
Coordinates | 50°53′50″N 04°20′21″E / 50.89722°N 4.33917°E |
Timeline | |
Opening | 27 April 1935 |
Closure | 25 November 1935 |
Universal expositions | |
Previous | Century of Progress in Chicago |
Next | Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris |
Specialized Expositions | |
Next | ILIS 1936 in Stockholm |
The Brussels International Exposition of 1935 (French: Exposition Universelle et Internationale Bruxelles de 1935) was a World's fair held between 27 April and 6 November 1935 on the Heysel Plateau in Brussels (Belgium).
History
Officially sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions, twenty-five countries officially participated and a further five were unofficially represented. The theme was colonisation, on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Congo Free State.
The exhibition attracted some twenty million visitors. Belgian architect Joseph van Neck was the principal architect of the fair and of the Art Deco Palais des Expositions (also known as the Grand Palais), with its interior concrete parabolic arches, and four heroic bronze statues on piers.
Among many other contributors, Le Corbusier designed part of the French exhibit; the Belgian modernist architect Victor Bourgeois designed the Grand Palais, the Leopold II restaurant and the Soprocol pavilion. The Belgian art exposition prominently displayed the work of contemporary Belgian artists, including Paul Delvaux, René Magritte and Louis Van Lint, boosting their careers.
The Palais des Expositions, and at least three other of the 1935 structures, were re-used for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair (Expo 58) which was held at the same site in 1958.
Gallery
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The main entrance
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The Palais des Expositions
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General view
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The Catholic life pavilion
See also
- The poster for the Exposition was designed by Leo Marfurt
- Brussels International (1897)
- Brussels International (1910)
- Expo 58
Further reading
- Michel MARY, Adrien Van der Burch, Commissaire général près l'Exposition Universelle et Internationale Bruxelles 1935 in Annales du Cercle royal d'histoire et d'archéologie du Canton de Soignies, XXXVII, 2004;
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official website of the BIE
- BIE description (PDF) (in French)