Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Repair work has begun on Tivoli Castle in Mechelen after a January 2025 fire destroyed its roof. Alderman Arthur Orlians said a temporary roof will protect the building; full restoration aims for 2027–2028.
As VRT News reported, repair work has started on the roof of Tivoli Castle in Mechelen after the building suffered severe damage in a fire at the end of January 2025. When the fire broke out, work had already started on the windows and roof of the castle, according to Mechelen’s Alderman for Buildings, Arthur Orlians.
The fire destroyed the entire roof structure and damaged other parts of the castle. A judicial investigation was opened to determine the fire’s cause. The castle remained closed for several months.
What steps are being taken to restore Tivoli Castle after the January 2025 fire?
After the fire, the city quickly put in place small protective measures to prevent further damage. The main hall was covered with a large plastic sheet to shield it from rain and wind. A dehumidifier was installed to control temperature and humidity.
Some parts of the structure were shored up to prevent collapse. Scaffolding that became unsafe in the fire was removed. Now, the full repair work on the roof has begun. The restoration aims to return Tivoli Castle to its historic appearance while keeping its architectural value intact.
“Now we are going to install a temporary roof to ensure the castle is not damaged any further.”
Arthur Orlians (For Mechelen), Alderman for Buildings
With the first phase of the judicial investigation now complete and the site cleared, more extensive work has started on Tivoli Castle in Mechelen. Arthur Orlians, the city’s Alderman for Buildings, said the priority is installing a temporary roof.
“We’re going to install a temporary roof to ensure the building doesn’t sustain any further damage,”
he explained. The temporary covering will protect the castle from rain, wind, and other weather elements while specialists continue to assess the full nature of the damage and plan their next steps.
Once the temporary covering is installed, the castle’s interior spaces will be walked through and emptied. This step will be completed in 2025. The city would like Tivoli Castle to be open to the public in 2027 or 2028.
“That will require a new design study, a contractor, and an architect, and that could take some time,”
Orlians concludes.
The medieval architecture of Tivoli Castle in Mechelen dates back to the 16th century and has served as a reference to Mechelen’s architectural heritage. Over the course of its history, it has undergone several restorations to repair its Renaissance and Baroque features.
The recent fire at Tivoli Castle in Mechelen occurred at the end of January 2025, during ongoing renovation work on the castle’s roof and windows. Following the incident, a judicial investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fire, and the castle remained closed for several months to allow experts uninterrupted access for damage assessment.
