[1][2] When the station was first built, there was a plan to eventually construct a connecting line along the route of the Rue Royale/Koningsstraat.

To provide for this line, a much larger underground space was excavated than necessary for a simple station.

The Rue Royale line was quickly cancelled, and the underground chambers intended for it now house the Brussels Metro's traffic control centre.

This was done as a test; most parts of the Brussels Metro having been built using open construction methods.

Several places of interest other than the park itself lie near the station: the Royal Palace, the Belgian House of Parliament (Palace of the Nation), the office of the Prime Minister of Belgium, the Royal Park Theatre, and the United States' embassy.