Philippe Geluck’s famous cartoon cat to have own museum in Brussels

Le Chat Cartoon Museum will open in Place Royale in the centre of Brussels in 2023, it has been confirmed.

The long-awaited project celebrates the renowned cat character created by Brussels comedian and cartoonist Philippe Geluck, reports RTBF.

One of francophone Belgium’s most popular comic-strips, Le Chat will share the new space with an area dedicated to the history of the cat as an animal and another to comic art.

The project has been developed by Geluck and the Brussels Region, which has introduced a request for planning permission on the historic site. A public enquiry was launched on Christmas Eve and is due to end in around 10 days.

It’s on a rare non-listed building plot between the official house of Brussels-Capital Region BIP and Bozar arts centre that the museum will be constructed. The architect responsible Pierre Hebbelinck said: “It’s a piece of land shaped in curves and counter curves, it’s even possible to make out a head and a tail, which in the profession is called a cat.”

The 400m2 building will be a contemporary design and for the Liège architect, the challenge was to integrate it as best as possible with the neighbouring buildings, while echoing their neo-classical design.

“We worked in a way that the result would reflect what already exists around Place Royale and Bozar, while also being in a totally contemporary style,” said Hebbelinck.

If administrative procedures advance smoothly, work is expected to begin at the end of 2020. The opening of the museum is announced for 2023.