Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The City of Brussels has applied for a permit to restore the Broodhuis roof and façades after leaks forced removal of second-floor artworks; the city council approval for the budget is pending.
As VRT News reported, work on restoring the Broodhuis is finally moving ahead after years of preparation.
“The city has requested a building permit from urban.brussels for the restoration of the entire outer shell, the roof, and the facades,”
says De Laveleye.
“A budget has also been included in the 2026 budget. For us, that’s a positive sign that the municipal council is truly committed to this.”
What is the city of Brussels doing to restore the Broodhuis?
The City of Brussels has submitted the permit request and is now arranging the necessary funding for the project. Chief curator Bérangère de Laveleye said that if both the permit and budget are approved, construction could begin at the end of 2026 or in early 2027.
The museum will stay open to visitors during the works, but the 2nd floor will be fully cleared and closed. Only the large St. Michael statue will remain in its place.
“After all, everything is done externally.”
The Manneken Pis collection will be moved to another section of the museum so that the public can still visit it while the restoration continues.
“At a later stage we will also apply for a permit for the renovation of the interior.”
Bérengère de Laveleye, Chief Curator, Museum of the City of Brussels/Broodhuis
The project will later move into a 2nd phase that focuses on the building’s interior.
“It’s a 19th-century museum, completely unsuited to 21st-century standards,”
says historian and author Roel Jacobs.
“It will need a complete overhaul.”
De Laveleye explained that the Broodhuis is not properly equipped to receive the 100,000 to 120,000 visitors who come each year.
“In a second phase, we’ll apply for a permit to renovate the interior. We’re working on it,”
De Laveleye said.
The building has no elevator, limited cloakroom space and too few restrooms. These facilities will be improved after the exterior work is finished. The curator also confirmed that the second floor will not look the same once the restoration is complete, as updates will be made to make the space more accessible and suitable for visitors.
“We’re going to be shifting the collection. The collection about the history of the Grote Mark will not return. It will have a new theme and will also be presented differently,”
De Laveleye said.
The Broodhuis museum is running out of space for its collection. Many works that are no longer on display must be moved to storage, but the current reserves are already full. To solve this, the City of Brussels will rent a large storage facility in Zaventem starting this spring.
“That’s been necessary for years. Now the reserves are spread across various locations, partly within the museum, partly outside. We’re going to bring everything. including the reserves of the city’s other museums, together in this new depot. There will also be a reading and study room there, so the collections can be studied.”
Chief curator Bérangère de Laveleye welcomed the decision but did not give details about the cost. He mentioned that the new facility will allow the museum to safely store artworks that cannot be exhibited while the restoration work takes place.
“The planned restoration of the roof and facades is a wonderful project. Of course, the city council still needs to approve the entire 2026 budget. This will likely happen in December or January.”
The full renovation of the Broodhuis, covering both the exterior and interior, was first estimated at €20 million.
“But now it’s just the roof and facades. So we’re talking about a smaller amount.”
The office of Brussels Mayor Philippe Close also declined to comment.
“Negotiations are still in full swing,”
they said.
Because the building is a protected heritage site, De Laveleye believes it could receive regional subsidies.
“There is no formal subsidy application yet. For that, the city must first submit detailed specifications and bids. And yes, the decision will also depend on the available budget for heritage restoration.”
The region, however, is facing financial challenges, and it is not yet clear if funds will be available. According to the office of outgoing State Secretary Ans Persoons (Vooruit), who oversees Urban Planning and Heritage, a decision on the permit will be made first. Only after the permit is approved will authorities consider granting subsidies for the project.
Broodhuis is one of the most recognised buildings on the Grand Place. The historic site stands directly across from the Town Hall and has served as the Museum of the City of Brussels since the late 1800s. The Broodhuis have been restored over the past 25 years. The stone decorations are crumbling, and the structure has suffered from water leaks for more than 2 decades.
The roof and façades no longer keep out the rain, leading to serious damage inside. Several parts of the building now need temporary support to prevent structural failure. City engineers describe the condition as urgent and say that work must begin soon to save the monument from further decline.
Last year, the damage worsened to the point that chief curator Bérangère de Laveleye decided to close the second-floor exhibition hall. The space, known for its high wooden ceiling and view of the square. All important artworks were removed, including the famous painting “The Bombardment of 1695.”
Only a few displays remain open to visitors, such as the 5.5-metre-high original weather vane of Saint Michael, which stood on top of the Town Hall for 5 hundred years, and the Manneken Pis collection, which remains accessible. The city’s goal is to restore the Broodhuis to its original state and repair the long-term water damage.
