If you are planning a museum visit this year, Brussels is the place to be according to the British public broadcaster BBC. The BBC recommends the new KANAL-Centre Pompidou Museum as one of the six most important museum openings worldwide this year. According to the broadcaster, the conversion of the old Citroën car assembly plant is a textbook example of architectural daring.
KANAL only museum opening in Europe this year that you should not miss, says BBC
Colin Clapson
Published:
‘From Europe's newest outpost of modern and contemporary art to starchitect Frank Gehry's posthumous showstopper, here are some notable new museums worth travelling to see.’ This is how journalist Larry Bleiberg announces his top six for the BBC. Strikingly, KANAL-Centre Pompidou is the only European destination on the list.
The international praise is welcome. In Belgium, the project is often associated with rising costs and the cash-strapped situation in Brussels. Although the new Brussels government gave the green light for its operating budget, the museum will have to make substantial savings on its daily operations and artistic content.
‘Cathedral of the Industrial Revolution’
Although the grand opening is not scheduled until 28 November, the BBC is already enthusiastic. The broadcaster praises the way in which the old 1930s Citroën auto assembly plant is being given a new lease of life. According to the BBC, the building is an excellent example of adaptive reuse of older buildings.
American architecture critic Aaron Betsky told the BBC the former garage is a gem of industrial art deco. The structure forms a beautiful starting point. "It's going to be a very light and airy space that will really do justice to the building's heritage," says Betsky. He even compares the old factory halls, which have five floors, to monuments like cathedrals and castles: "The Industrial Revolution left us with these great monuments, the equivalent to our cathedrals and castles."
Ten exhibitions and a trip to Bruges
It is not only the 40,000 square metres of steel and glass that impressed the BBC, but also the plans for what will be exhibited. KANAL will open with ten exhibitions.
The BBC emphasises that no fewer than 350 masterpieces by artists including Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian will all be coming to Brussels. The works are on loan from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which is closing until 2030 for renovation.
The BBC also sees the opening as the start of a broader ‘cultural district’ in the Brussels canal zone.
Praise for Belgium does not stop in the capital. ‘Fairytale Bruges’ also gets a mention. The BBC recommends a visit to BRUSK , the brand-new exhibition hall that is opening with an exhibition on AI-controlled sculptures.
What else is on the list?
In addition to Brussels there’s praise for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art being built in Los Angeles (USA), a futuristic design reminiscent of a flying saucer. Abu Dhabi makes the list with the new Guggenheim Museum . In Australia, the opening of the Larrakia Cultural Centre is about more than just architecture. This museum about indigenous peoples is, for the first time, actually managed by the community itself.
Chicago is preparing for the arrival of the Obama Presidential Centre , where the collection focuses on Barack Obama's two terms in office.
The Uzbek capital Tashkent where the Islamic Civilisation Centre is opening this year is perhaps the most surprising destination on the list. The Uthman Quran, a historical masterpiece from the 7th century, will be an absolute crowd puller.