The Leuven Town Hall is located in Leuven,Belgium, and is a landmark building building on that city's Grote Markt (Main Market) square, across from the monumental St.Peter's Church. Built in a Brabantine Gothic style between 1448 and 1469, it is famous for its ornate architecture, crafted in lace-like detail. It has three main stories, lined with pointed Gothic windows on the three sides visible from the Markt. Above is a gallery parapet, behind which rises a steep roof studded with four tiers of dormers. At the angles of the roof are octagonal turrets pierced with slits allowing for the passage of light.
Statues in canopied niches are distributed all over the building. The corbels supporting the statues are carved with Bibilical scenes in high relief. While the niches and corbels are original with the building, the 236 statues themselves are relatively recent, dating from after 1850. Those of the first floor represent personages of importance in the local history of the city; those of the second, patron saints and symbolic figures; those of the third, the Counts of Leuven and Dukes of Brabant from various ages.
The main façade has an entrance staircase, and two portals in the center, above which are figures of Saint Peter and Madonna and Child, the former in compliment to the patron of the church opposite.
The interior accommodates an interesting collection of artwork, including sculptures by Constatin and Jef Lambeaux. Inside can also be seen the portraits of the Leuven mayors since 1794.
Construction of the Town hall started in 1439 at the site of an existing Town hall. The first architect was Sulpitius Van Vorst, who died before the project was completed. He got succeeded by Jans Keldermann II, whose death in 1445 ended the first construction campaign. The project was resumed again in 1448 under Matheus de Layens and in 1469, the building was complete.
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