Mabo Brussels opens playground and sports hall after 2 Years

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – January 19, 2026 – Mabo Brussels has completed construction of its new playground, sports hall, and school building after two years of teaching amid ongoing works. Students and staff transitioned into the fully operational facilities this week. The project addresses long-standing capacity needs in the multilingual education network.

Pupils at Mabo Brussels returned to a transformed campus following the official handover of the new school building, sports hall, and playground on January 15, 2026. Construction began in January 2024, requiring adaptive teaching arrangements including modular classrooms and temporary outdoor spaces during the build phase. Brussels education authorities confirmed all facilities meet current safety and accessibility standards.

Project Timeline and Construction Challenges

Work commenced on the site adjacent to the existing Mabo Brussels campus with ground breaking attended by local officials. Phase one cleared the area and installed foundations for the three-storey school building housing 24 classrooms. Delays from supply chain issues in summer 2024 extended the sports hall completion by three months, but contractors met the revised December 2025 deadline.

Teaching continued uninterrupted through phased relocations, with 650 pupils split across temporary structures and partner schools. Noise mitigation measures included acoustic barriers and restricted heavy machinery hours to after-school periods. The Flemish Community Commission (COCOM) oversaw compliance with bilingual education mandates throughout.

Final inspections verified structural integrity, fire safety systems, and energy performance rating B under Belgian norms.

New School Building Specifications

The 4,500 square metre school building features 24 classrooms accommodating 750 pupils, up from current capacity. Laboratories for sciences, IT suites with 120 computers, and a library occupy the ground floor. Upper levels house staff rooms, administrative offices, and inclusive spaces for special needs education.

Sustainable design incorporates solar panels generating 30% of energy needs, rainwater harvesting, and triple-glazed windows. Classrooms measure 60 square metres each, exceeding minimum standards by 20%. Lift access ensures full wheelchair mobility across floors.

Furniture suppliers delivered ergonomic desks and interactive whiteboards installed during the holiday break.

Sports Hall Design and Features

The 1,200 square metre sports hall supports indoor basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics for physical education classes. Timber flooring meets EN 14904 standards, with wall padding and ceiling height of 8 metres accommodating net sports. Spectator stands seat 150 for school events and community use.

Changing rooms include six team cabins, showers, and accessible toilets. Storage for equipment lines one wall, with foldable goals and basketball hoops standard issue. Natural ventilation and LED lighting achieve 40% energy savings over older facilities.

Booking systems integrate with the school’s timetable for after-hours club access.

Playground Development and Safety Measures

The 2,000 square metre playground divides into age-specific zones with synthetic turf, swings, slides, and climbing frames compliant with EN 1176 norms. Rubberised safety surfacing underlies all play equipment, rated critical fall height up to 3 metres. Benches, shaded areas, and bike racks serve daily use.

Fencing encloses the perimeter with double gates for supervised entry. Inclusive swings and sensory paths accommodate diverse abilities. Maintenance contracts ensure weekly inspections and annual certifications.

Landscaping includes native planting beds managed by pupils through gardening clubs.

Educational Impact and Capacity Expansion

Mabo Brussels, part of the GO! Scholengroep Brussel network, serves Dutch-French-English streams for 4-18 year olds. New facilities alleviate overcrowding, reducing class sizes from 28 to 22 pupils average. Sports programming expands with dedicated PE slots tripling weekly hours.

Transition days familiarised students with layouts last week, minimising first-day disruptions. Staff training covered new AV systems and emergency protocols specific to the buildings.

Enrolment applications for September 2026 opened immediately, prioritising siblings.

Funding and Stakeholder Contributions

COCOM allocated €18 million from Flemish education budgets, supplemented by €2 million EU recovery funds. Private donations funded playground elements through the school’s parent association. Contractors from BESIX and local SMEs completed works under fixed-price agreements.

Opening ceremony featured speeches from Education Minister Caroline Gennez and Brussels-Capital Region representatives. Pupils performed multilingual welcomes.

Historical Context of Mabo Brussels

Founded in 1968 as a multilingual basic education centre, Mabo Brussels expanded in the 1990s to secondary levels. Temporary facilities served since 2015 renovations proved inadequate for growing enrolments driven by international families. The 2019 masterplan prioritised these builds to meet 2030 capacity targets.

Previous upgrades included IT integration in 2020 and roof repairs post-2021 storms.

Community and Parental Involvement

Parent councils advised on design preferences during public consultations in 2023. Fundraising events raised €50,000 for extras like art murals adorning hallways. Local residents attended site tours showcasing progress quarterly.

Neighbourhood partnerships secure shared sports hall use for after-school programmes.

Sustainability and Operational Efficiency

Buildings achieve EPB certification with heat recovery ventilation and low-flow fixtures reducing water use 35%. Solar arrays connect to the grid, crediting excess production. Waste separation stations promote recycling from day one.

Energy monitoring dashboards display real-time usage in the staff lounge.

Curriculum Integration Opportunities

New laboratories enable expanded STEM offerings, including robotics clubs. Sports hall facilitates inter-school competitions under the Brussels league. Playground supports outdoor learning aligned with Finnish model pilots.

Library expansion triples book stock to 15,000 volumes across languages.

Future Expansion Phases Planned

Site masterplan reserves space for a multipurpose auditorium by 2028. Parking expansion adds 40 spaces with EV chargers. Green roof initiatives scheduled for 2027 atop the sports hall.

Annual reviews track utilisation rates guiding further investments.

Official Handover and Inauguration Events

Handover occurred January 12 with technical sign-off by fire and building inspectors. Inauguration on January 15 drew 800 attendees including alumni. Ribbon-cutting by oldest pupil symbolised community handover.

Media coverage highlighted the project’s role in educational infrastructure renewal.

Staff and Pupil Transition Logistics

Professional development days January 8-10 trained 80 staff on facilities. Pupils received orientation packs with maps and rules. Bus routes adjusted for new drop-off zones minimising congestion.

Lost property systems upgraded with digital tagging options.

Regional Educational Infrastructure Context

Brussels invests €500 million annually in school builds, with 12 projects completing 2025-2026. Mabo Brussels ranks among top performers in multilingual integration per 2025 inspectorate reports.

Similar projects in Molenbeek and Ixelles follow this model.