The Belgian capital has an abundance of venues for special events, finds Liat Clark
Considering Brussels is home to more than 40 European and international organisations including NATO and the European Parliament, plus 311 meeting venues and 12,000 hotel rooms, it is always surprising to find you are not jostling between crowds, head down, briefcase pinned to your body like in other major cities. Despite being less than two hours away by rail from London, Paris and Amsterdam, the Belgian capital feels surprisingly laid-back – the pace is relaxed, the people hospitable and the beer on tap.
The city is, of course, known for the last of these, with bars lining the Gothic Grand Place – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and amenable bartenders eager to find you the perfect blend. Meanwhile, its gastronomic reputation continues to grow (see “Eat ethnic in Brussels”, businesstraveller.com/archive/2011/april-2011). The immigrant population has turned quiet quarters into bustling hotspots – you may have heard of Little Italy, but Little Turkey and Little Morocco? – giving gourmands more options than ever.
And this choice extends to the city’s meeting venues. Brussels has responded to demand by becoming ever more creative, turning disused factories and art nouveau treasures into dynamic spaces. Here’s a selection to consider next time you are planning an event in the city.
Area 42
This modernist, adaptable space is a few roads over from Brussels Gare du Nord and around the corner from the beautiful Byzantine-style St Mary’s Church. After entering through the nondescript door, a carpet made of fake grass leads through to the main room, signalling the quirky sentiment that runs throughout the building.
Two years ago it was an abandoned telecoms office built by Swiss architect Michel Polak. When it was acquired by French architect Edouard Poullain he imagined an artist’s studio, but the abundance of space meant it could have a dual purpose. What makes it special for events is the option to display the artists’ works (they have a studio in the building), including the spectacular Happy Birthday Mr President by Piet So, a motorised tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
There are four main rooms totalling almost 2,500 sqm, which can be split into sub-sections with curtains. A street entrance brings you into Area Four, the largest single space, able to accommodate 980 people for a reception. Glass blocks line the ceiling where artist-in-residence Peter Keene’s motorised kinetic lights hang, and concrete pillars break up the clean, glossy white space.
Area Three seats 190 delegates and has views over downtown Brussels. At the end of the room, past the bannister made of giant multi-coloured matchsticks, an angular black staircase built by Antoine Meyer leads to Area Two, seating 290 people. Here there is access to a patio area with a vertical garden, where the artists grow vegetables in carbon fibre pockets. Area One, seating 300 delegates theatre-style, is an auditorium ideal for lectures. Red panels and exposed bulbs hang from the ceiling and rose trees line the small patio outside. There is lift access to the underground car park from both floors, which has 20 spaces during the day, and 140 from 6pm and at the weekend.
- 42 Rue des Palais; tel +32 2218 1641; area42.be
Chalet Robinson
The capital proves it can do quaint as well as its Flemish counterparts with this unusual venue set in Cambre parkland, a ten-minute drive from the centre. Situated on a man-made island (a boat ferries guests back and forth), the cedar wood chalet was originally built in 1877 but burned down twice in its history. In the early 20th century it was a popular spot for afternoon tea and now, two years after its most recent opening, well-coiffed young professionals flock to the idyllic spot for gourmet food. (For a dinner event, make sure some of the restaurant’s Belgian classics, such as sweet meatballs in a rich caramelised chicory gravy, are on the menu.)
An outdoor terrace overlooks grounds where bunnies and geese complete the Disney-like scene – it can be combined with the indoor restaurant to seat 200 guests. Inside is elegant, with painted black wooden worktops and flooring, white walls and silver globe-like lighting fixtures. Sash windows look out to the water, and downstairs a boardroom lined with modern art seats 16.
Upstairs, 200 people can be seated in the most impressive venue, which has a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, a balcony at the front and a sizeable sheltered terrace to the rear. There is a private dining room by the downstairs entrance. The park backs on to the 4,420-hectare Sonian Forest, a nice place for a walk if you have time.
- 1 Sentier de l’Embarcadère; tel +32 2372 9292; chaletrobinson.be
Royal Museums of Fine Arts
Situated by Place Royal in the city centre, this 1887 Beaux Arts building houses the Museum of Ancient Art, the Museum of Modern Art and a gallery dedicated to surrealist Belgian painter Rene Magritte. Opened two years ago, the last has one function room, the Magritte Room – a black-walled, atmospheric space where works including his La Magie Noire appear on hanging lampshades, illuminating the otherwise sombre room quite beautifully. The room seats 150 people for dinner, and guests can go upstairs to enjoy spectacular views of the city from the top floor or take a tour of the exhibition, which tells the story of Magritte’s life through a chronological display of his sketches, paintings and writing.
The Museum of Ancient Art’s towering Forum is of regal proportions, with columns visible in the galleried exhibition floor above. There is a permanent display of Pierre Alechinsky’s vibrant and hypnotic The Last Day, Egide Gustave Wappers’s Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and Constant Montald’s dream-like Whiteworld. The room can host 400 for dinner or 700 for a reception.
Behind the Forum, the modern 150-capacity Museum Café was designed by Belgium-based restaurateur Antoine Pinto and has a canteen-style setup, with a black marble bar, velvet curtains, orange and purple leather chairs, and an outdoor terrace. All rooms can be hired from 5.30pm-11.30pm, except on Wednesdays.
- Rue de la Régence 3; tel +32 2508 3412; fine-arts-museum.be
Wide Gallery
The Wide Gallery’s contemporary setup benefits from big open spaces (2,000 sqm in total) and high ceilings, as well as a location adjacent to the Ring West highway (visitors from outside the city do not need to cross town to reach the venue). Built in 1902, the site was originally a factory for diamond tool-maker Diamant Boart and was transformed into a minimalist venue a year ago.
The white spaces, accented only by curtains that act as walls (lit with uplights to add a splash of colour), are a blank canvas for event planners. The four units can be broken up into different combinations with the moveable white veneer curtains, which can also act as a backdrop for films to be projected. (In one of the units – a huge square – films can be projected 360 degrees across the curtain walls.)
Unit 0.1, a long, narrow space seating 500 delegates, can be joined with Unit 0.2 to create an L-shape, seating 800 people. The largest single space accommodates 1,100 guests for a reception and features exposed whitewashed brickwork and towering central columns, where a bar is set up. All units have been fitted with a basic tech package and wifi is available throughout.
- 11 Rue du Charroi; tel +32 2344 4155; widegallery.be
Botanic Gardens
At a quarter of a century old, the Jardins Botaniques has firmly established its identity as a cultural meeting point for the country’s artists. Exhibitions, plays and concerts are regularly staged here, with the focus predominantly on homegrown talent, though they have also hosted bands such as Arcade Fire, Oasis and the Smashing Pumpkins.
When the gardens are not hosting music festivals, they make a great alternative for functions. The greenhouse-style hallway leading to the main venue is a great spot. With views over the grounds and tropical vegetation all around, it’s ideal for a drinks reception of about 250 people, and in good weather the adjoining outdoor terrace can be used. The Orangerie can be set up for private performances or seminars and seats 350 or 700 standing, while the Cirque Royal seats 1,200 delegates but is not suitable for all types of events as it is in a permanent concert hall layout.
Other rooms include the Bibliotheque, where a marble fireplace and dusty books give the feel of an old university lecture room, and the Cinema, a basement seating 90 with exposed brickwork and arches. The Witloof Bar is another subterranean space, used for standing events of 200 people, while the acoustics of the Rotonde (seating 125) would suit an intimate concert or dinner.
- 236 Rue Royale; tel +32 2226 1211; botanique.be
Villa Empain
This art deco villa was built in 1930 as a private mansion. The Boghossian Foundation restored it to its former glory in 2006, forming a cultural centre in Brussels where ideas from the East and West could meet. From the gilded motifs on the front door to the marble floors and bronze detailing throughout, it is a masterpiece. Housed in the consulate district along Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Villa Empain is a 15-minute drive from Brussels Midi.
Open for meetings since April last year, the venue has two function rooms. The main atrium overlooks an outdoor pool and terrace (which can be covered for parties) and hosts 300 people for a reception – more if it’s good weather and the terrace is used. Items from a permanent exhibit remain during events, so visitors can enjoy the Lacets En Or by Jean-Michel Othoniel, a giant necklace made from beads of Murano glass, gold and ash.
Upstairs is out of bounds during events (though you can ask for a group tour) but downstairs is a clean, white-walled L-shaped area that can be divided in two and seats 200 delegates for a lecture. It also features one wall lined with huge silver-leaf teardrops, Silver Surfer Tears by Jeff Zimmerman. At the end of the garden is a small, elegant three-bedroom house that can be rented.
- 67 Ave Franklin Roosevelt; tel +32 2627 5230; villaempain.com
Max Hallet
This year marks what would have been Belgian art nouveau architect Victor Horta’s 150th birthday. Horta was responsible for the Palais des Beaux-Arts, the Gare Centrale, and some beautiful townhouses that are dotted around the city, of which Max Hallet is a fine example. Most townhouses only open their doors to the public every few years, but Horta fan Michael Gilbert lovingly restored it, unveiling it for events three years ago.
Located on the chic Avenue Louise, the building was erected in 1903 with parties in mind. The entrance leads to a sweeping staircase with intricately designed brass railings that are reflected on the marble mosaic floor. Peach walls draw the eye to a restored fresco above the stairwell, and to the bay window on a mezzanine level.
One level up is a spacious landing leading to a long room suitable for conferences or dinners. The hallway, landings and upper room can be used for a reception of about 150 guests or 80 for dinner. The rich detail, from the stained-glass windows to gilded walls, almost feel too precious to touch (in fact, stilettos are not welcomed, as they could damage the floor).
- 346 Avenue Louise; tel +32 2648 8111; events-at-horta.be
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