Fort de Lantin was built between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont.

The Fort de Lantin is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northwest of the center of Liège.

The service areas were placed directly opposite the barracks, which opened into the ditch in the rear of the fort (i.e., in the face towards Liège), with lesser protection than the two "salient" sides.

[3] The Brialmont forts were designed to be protected from shellfire equaling their heaviest guns: 21 cm.

[2] The large weapons were all German products, made by Krupp in Essen, but the armor was by Cockerill (Belgium), Ateliers de Creusot (France) or Grüson (Germany).

When the Liège proved unexpectedly stubborn, the Germans brought heavy siege artillery to bombard the forts with shells far larger than they were designed to resist.

[9] Lantin was not upgraded in the 1930s as part of the Fortified Position of Liège, remaining essentially as it was built by Brialmont.