Fire at KANAL Museum Adds to Crises Before Brussels Opening

A significant fire broke out Monday evening at the construction site of the KANAL-Centre Pompidou museum in Brussels, dealing a fresh blow to a project already grappling with soaring costs, a funding shortfall, and the departure of its director. The blaze, which erupted in a technical room on the seventh floor of the former Citroën Garage at Square Sainctelette, was brought under control by 19:05 and fully extinguished by 21:00, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. No injuries were reported.

The Fire Incident

The Brussels Fire Brigade responded swiftly after receiving reports of a large smoke plume visible across the city center shortly after 18:00. The fire covered approximately 400 square meters in a technical space beneath the roof. Firefighters deployed a combined interior and exterior attack, including a 64-meter ladder truck used as a water tower.

“Given the size of the fire, the deployed resources were quickly scaled up,” said Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Brigade, as reported by VRT NWS. “We fought the fire both from inside and outside. Thanks to that combined approach, the fire was brought under control around 19:05.”

No workers were present in the building at the time, and the museum was empty of artworks, meaning no collection items were damaged. A crew rotation occurred around 19:30 due to high temperatures during the operation. The cause has been determined as accidental, with further investigation ongoing.

A safety perimeter was established on Willebroekkaai, which was partially closed in both directions, and a nearby event on Akenkaai was temporarily evacuated. The traffic perimeter has since been lifted.

Escalating Costs and Financial Pressure

The fire is the latest in a series of mounting challenges for the KANAL project. Originally estimated at €150 million, the renovation costs have ballooned to nearly €200 million. With an annual operating subsidy of €35 million, the museum was already named Belgium’s most expensive museum in 2025, according to The Brussels Times.

In May 2026, it emerged that an additional €60 million was needed to complete the project. The Brussels government approved a loan for this amount, sparking parliamentary criticism over risks to the region’s already vulnerable finances.

Leadership Departure

Adding to the uncertainty, project director Yves Goldstein announced his departure in May 2026. Goldstein, who had led KANAL since its establishment in 2017, will remain until a successor is found. From the political sphere, there have been calls for new leadership to not only execute the existing plan but to fundamentally rethink the museum’s concept.

Impact on November Opening

The museum is scheduled to open on November 28, 2026, with ten inaugural exhibitions planned. The impact of the fire on this timeline remains unclear. Experts are now assessing damage to technical installations and whether the building’s structure was affected.

“But experts will now have to assess what the damage is to the technical installations and also whether the structure of the building was affected,” Derieuw told VRT NWS. The museum itself has not yet communicated about the fire’s effect on the opening schedule.

Broader Context

Despite its challenges, KANAL has received significant international recognition. The BBC previously included the museum in a list of the six most promising museum openings worldwide. The 40,000-square-meter space, housed in the iconic 1930s Citroën Garage building, is set to become one of Europe’s largest cultural venues, featuring exhibition halls, workshops, an auditorium, a library, and a full architecture museum (CIVA).

What to Watch For

The coming weeks will be critical for the project. Key questions include whether the November opening will be delayed, the extent of structural damage and repair costs, and how the incident will affect public and political support. The appointment of a new director will also be closely watched, as it may signal whether the project’s concept will evolve.

For now, KANAL remains a project that balances immense cultural ambition against persistent financial, political, and practical uncertainties — with the smoke from Monday’s fire serving as a stark reminder of the challenges still ahead.