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Cinquantenaire pavilion reopens to public
Currently somewhat hidden away, the Omer Vanaudenhove Pavilion in Brussels' Cinquantenaire park looks set to become much more visible under a new project named Pavi’On.
The City of Brussels has said that Pavi’On should “strengthen and breathe new life into the park’s socio-cultural life.”
The building, with its freshly painted blue shutters, has been completely redesigned to be both “modern and welcoming”, according to the office of the town’s mayor, Philippe Close (Socialist).
“We did not just renovate this building, we reinvented it,” he said. “From now on, the Pavi’On will be an open door to the city, to others, to everything that connects us.
"In the heart of the Cinquantenaire Park, it embodies a city on the move, a city that makes culture increasingly accessible, and a city that reaches out to its neighbourhoods."
The Pavi’On programme will be “enriched by the initiatives of local associations and local residents, who are valuable partners in this new adventure,” the office said.
At the end of 2021, the pavilion was forced to close after a sudden fire. Works on the building, that started in October 2024, were completed at the end of April 2025 and resulted in a completely redesigned space.
In total, renovation works cost €1 million - €300,000 for the roof, asbestos removal and interior structures and €700,000 for the complete renovation of the interior, facades and widows.
Located in the heart of the European Quarter, the Pavi’On will be managed by Brussels’ Maisons du Quartier and boast an “eclectic, inclusive and intergenerational programme,” that will “strengthen the socio-cultural offer in the park and fits perfectly within the preparations for the 200th anniversary of Belgian independence in 2030,” the city said.
The new landmark should not be confused with the park’s famous, although rarely open, Pavillon des Passions Humaines.