Leuven Central Prison

The central prison in the Belgian city of Leuven was opened in 1860 and built in neo-Dutch Revival style. It is located on the Geldenaaksevest and serves exclusively as a penal facility. The prison in Leuven was opened on October 1, 1860, from the very beginning as a prison for male correctional convicts with a long sentence. The prison fit into the plan from 1830 by Edouard Ducpétiaux, then General Inspector of Prisons. The large star-shaped cellular prison is located as planned in the center of the country. Leuven was selected because the railway had already been laid to the city in 1837 and the station was built in 1840. The government gave the green light in 1844, and the city architect François-Henri Laenen selected the specific location on the city ring between the Tiensepoort and the Parkpoort because it did not conflict with the city plan drawn up in 1839. A rectangular fully walled area of over 4 hectares was available. The royal decree establishing the prison was published on August 23, 1846. The construction plans for the prison date back to 1851 and were designed by architect Joseph Jonas Dumont. Construction began in 1856. The structure of the building is a derivative of a pure panopticon and is based on the Pennsylvania prison system and HM Prison Pentonville in London. The building is star-shaped and housed 570 cells in six wings, along the sides of high corridors with multiple galleries, one along each side for each of the three floors. Of the six wings, the B and E wings were longer, while the A, C, D, and F wings were half shorter. Centrally, there was an observation post on each floor. The prison had central heating and a ventilation system. Upon opening, the Leuven prison was internationally recognized as a model example and was visited frequently.

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