The Flower Carpet is 70 m long by 24 m wide. 1,680 m2 of begonias, dahlias, grass and bark. A hundred volunteers assemble the carpetin less thans six hours. The firts Flower carpet of Brussels was created in 1971 and has been a showstopper every two years on the Grand- Place since 1986.
Every other summer, on the weekend of August 15th, the Flower Carpet offers a chance to stroll accross the Grand- Place, a jewel of Gothic architecture, to inhale the fragrant scent of the flowers and admire its details. This extraordinary spectacle is made complete by a visit to the balcony of the Tawn Hall, wich offers a wide-angle view of the work. Every evening you can enjoy a magnificent sound and-light show at the Grand-Place.
Historically, during the first 22 editions of the Brussels Flower Carpet, it was the begonia flower that adorned the Grand-Place of Brussels to give shape and colour to the carpets.
But over the years, this flower has become increasingly rare. Today, there are only 3 major producers of this species left in Belgium, which has led designers to work increasingly with other varieties.
This year, in a major revolution, the flower carpet will feature only dahlias. Thanks to a collaboration with the Bloemencorso Loenhout association, thousands of dahlias in a wide range of colours will give the carpet all the sparkle it deserves.
Every two years the non-profit association Tapis de Fleurs brings together a committee of professionals (illustrators, graphic designers, landscape architects) who come up with scale projects, with each edition illustrating a different theme (the commemoration of major events, a country, a continent, the coat of arms of a cit, etc.). Once the theme has taken shape in the form of model and symbols, the number of flowers is calculated and the combinations of colours are established. The hundreds of thousands of cut flowers necessary for the composition can then be reserved, very long in advance. Several days before the inauguration, a full-size drawing is executed on an enormous organic cotton canvas that is laid down stop the cobblestones of the Grand-Place. The works can then begin.
More than 100 volunteer gardeners put together this giant floral puzzle in more or less six hours. The day before the opening, the spaces between the floral motifs are filled in using rolls of sod. The flowers are so closely-packed that they can’t be blown away, and indeed they create their own microclimate! If there’s a heat wave, the sod is wastered to prevent it from wilting. If the weather is too wet, the grass can grow by 4 to 5 centimetres in 3 days. The flowers remain fresh and preserve their splendour during the four days.
This was the work of the landscape architect Etienne Stautemasn borns in Zottegen in 1927. A graduate of the Horticultural College of Ghent, he began to create flower carpets in the early 1950’s. Simpler, smaller, these “rugs” were primarily composed of begonias which he loved and with which he worked ever since. After years of testing and calculations, the team of Etienne Stautemas, together with designer Mark Schautteet, imposed itself as the specialist in the creation of immense flower carpets, with sophisticated colours and complicated designs. The team went on to create more than 180 carpets, in Ghent, Bruges, Cologne, Luxembourg, Paris, London, Amsterdam, The Hague, Vienna, Valencia and even Buenos Aires and Colombus (Ohio). But ”nowhere else is the carpet as magnificent and distinguished as on the ancient and unique Grand-Place of Brussels”.
This is the historical heart of Brussels. here Gothic style can be seen adjacent to opulent baroque, neo-classical as well as neo-Gothic. The Grand-Place is regarded by its admirers as “the most beautiful central square in the world”! Its construction began in the 15th century, with halls, guild houses and a Town Hall. It was virtually razed after 3 full days of bombardment by the French Army in 1695, yet was rebuilt in less than 5 years, notably by the different guilds. The tower of the Town Hall is 96 metre hight. Every two years, the heritage jewel. Since 2000 the entire Grand-Place has been listed as a Unesco world heritage site.
Created in 1986, the Tapis de fleurs de Bruxelles non-profit association organises the Flowercarpet events on the Grand-Place in Brussels and the Flowertime exhibitions inside the City Hall.
The association's aim is to promote floral art in Brussels and throughout Belgium through collaboration with various associations. We support artists from all over Belgium, whether for the design of the flower carpets or for the floral arrangements that we exhibit at during the Flowertime events.
When it comes to choosing flowers (mainly begonias and dahlias for the flower carpets), we also give preference to Belgian growers, for their expertise and international reputation.
The Brussels Flowercarpet has been listed as part of the Brussels Region's intangible cultural heritage since 01/10/2020.
The Tapis de Fleurs de Bruxelles npa is also a member of the International Association of Ephemeral Arts, which brings together organisers of ephemeral art events from all over the world.
Head office: City Hall - Grand-Place 1 - 1000 Brussels
Contact: info@flowercarpet.be
