The buildings were designed by the architect Alexandre Marcel at the beginning of the 20th century on behalf of King Leopold II.

[3] The museum complex is situated the Mutsaard district, near the Royal Palace of Laeken, the official residence of the King of the Belgians.

[4] The Japanese Tower (French: Tour japonaise, Dutch: Japanse Toren) stands nearly 50 metres (160 ft) tall, across the road from the rest of the museum buildings.

[5] Work on a larger Chinese Pavilion (French: Pavillon chinois, Dutch: Chinees Paviljoen) began in 1905.

[4] The museums' section on Japanese art is housed in a building near the Chinese Pavilion, originally intended to serve as a stable and garage for the complex.

The Flemish public broadcaster VRT reported in 2022 that the Federal Government had decided the previous year not to re-open the complex although no formal announcement had been made to this effect.