Fire at Brussels' Kanal museum construction site delays opening of architecture wing

The planned November 28 inauguration of the Kanal museum in Brussels faces a setback as a fire has damaged a key new building, preventing its scheduled opening.

The blaze, which ignited on the technical roof of a tower intended to house Kanal Architecture (formerly CIVA), was brought under control by firefighters within hours. Fortunately, no one was working in the building at the time, and no injuries were reported. The fire's origin is under investigation, but it appears to have affected at least half of the rooftop air conditioning systems.

Firefighters' rapid response contained the fire, but their intervention caused significant water damage throughout much of the new structure. Experts are now assessing the integrity of the roof and the remaining systems. The damage is confined to the section designated for Kanal Architecture, including exhibition spaces, a bookstore, a library, and workshop areas.

Despite the incident, the overall opening of the Kanal museum on November 28 is not in jeopardy. "This is a huge blow in this final stretch before the opening because everything was on schedule for all the teams," said Yves Goldstein, director of Kanal. "Fortunately, the damage is limited to part of the building that will house the architecture center. The important thing is that the opening of Kanal, scheduled for November 28, is not being questioned."

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This is a huge blow in this final stretch before the opening because everything was on schedule for all the teams. Fortunately, the damage is limited to part of the building that will house the architecture center. The important thing is that the opening of Kanal, scheduled for November 28, is not being questioned.