Beringen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Next week, the historic Casino in Beringen begins entrance hall renovation, led by Culture head Esmeralda Meynen and Heritage lead Patrick Witters, focusing on accessibility, restoring its old look, and finishing by October 2025.
As VRT News reported, next week, the historic Casino building in Beringen, a municipality in the province of Limburg, Belgium, will begin its renovation, which is the 2nd major project this year. Earlier in the year, the focus was on restoring the roof to protect the building for the future.
Now, the renovation will focus on the entrance hall. According to officials, as the Casino approaches its 75th anniversary next year, it is time to update and improve the building after many years of use.
They mentioned that one of the main issues is the many stairs in the entrance area, which pose difficulties for people with physical disabilities. The renovation will prioritise accessibility by redesigning this space to be more inclusive and user-friendly, ensuring all visitors can comfortably enjoy the Casino’s facilities.
How will Meynen and Witters preserve history and improve accessibility at the Casino?
The renovation will also bring back the Casino’s old look. They want to restore parts of the building that have changed over time. A new counter will be put in the entrance hall to help visitors. The lights will be changed to use less energy.
Esmeralda Meynen, who is in charge of Culture, says these changes are needed and happening at the right time. They will make sure the Casino stays a lively place for culture that everyone can use for many years.
The Casino, which also has the Cultural Centre, will be open during the renovation. Next week, visitors will need to use a different entrance because of the construction work. This change means that all the cultural events and activities can still happen. The management wants to make sure everyone can still visit and that the Casino remains a place for culture, even while they are making improvements.
Patrick Witters, the person in charge of Heritage, wants the renovation to be done carefully because the Casino is a historic building. He says it needs skilled work and should honour its past. They will work with renovation experts to make sure everything is done right.
He mentioned that the main goal is to make the entrance look better and keep the Casino as a cultural landmark for future generations. The renovation is expected to finish in October 2025. After that, they will improve the front of the building and the meeting rooms.
