Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – SMAK Ghent faces climate and roof problems. The city approved €3 million for urgent repairs. Alderman Astrid De Bruycker confirms works, while a long-term €90 million new museum is planned by 2030.
As VRT News reported, the Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (SMAK) in Ghent will be renovated after repeated problems with climate control inside the building. The museum at Citadel Park faced high indoor temperatures last summer when the air conditioning and ventilation systems failed during heat waves.
What will €3M repairs mean for the SMAK Ghent before € the €90M Museum in 2030?
Alderman Astrid De Bruycker (Vooruit) confirmed that the situation is urgent and that action is necessary. She said staff had reported the conditions are not workable, while visitors also complained about the heat. The main issue is the safety of the artworks, which could experience detrimental long-term damage without controlling the climate.
The building of the Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (SMAK) in Ghent is in poor condition. In several locations in the museum, the roof leaks during rain events and the moisture ingress is apparent. The city of Ghent has now approved an urgent investment of €3 million.
Alderman Astrid De Bruycker (Vooruit) stated that the situation has become unsustainable and requires direct action. The current urgent works, however, are independent of the city’s SMAK plan for the future. The city has made it clear that its ambition is to construct a new and larger museum to replace SMAK by 2030 at an estimated cost of €90 million. Ghent is also talking to the Flemish government about contributions to any new building.
SMAK has been located in the former casino building at Citadel Park, opposite the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK), since it opened in 1999. The museum quickly grew into one of Belgium’s leading institutions for contemporary art, with a collection featuring international names such as Joseph Beuys, Panamarenko, and Cindy Sherman. Calls for a new, purpose-built museum have circulated for more than a decade, and in 2021, the city announced its ambition to realise a new SMAK by 2030.
