Fire breaks out at Brussels' future Kanal-Centre Pompidou museum, under control after two hours

What happened

A fire broke out on Monday evening, 6 July 2026, at the construction site of the future Kanal-Centre Pompidou museum on Place Sainctelette in Brussels. The blaze started in a technical room under the roof of one of the three buildings, the one designated for the future architecture centre Kanal Architecture. Thick black smoke was visible across the area, and flames shot through the roof. No one was inside the building at the time, and there were no injuries.

Response and containment

The Brussels fire brigade received the alert shortly after 18:00 local time. Spokesperson Walter Derieuw said the fire station is located nearby, allowing firefighters to arrive within five minutes. They attacked the fire simultaneously from inside and outside the building. After about two hours, the fire was brought under control, though crews continued extinguishing residual hotspots and conducting cleanup operations into the evening. A relief of teams was organised around 19:30 due to high temperatures.

We were lucky the fire station is nearby. They were on site within 5 minutes and were able to prevent worse.

Damage and impact on opening

At least 400 square metres were affected by the fire, according to the fire brigade. The full extent of the damage will depend on the materials involved and is still being assessed. The Kanal Foundation confirmed that no artworks were damaged because the museum is still in the final construction phase and no pieces had been installed. The museum's opening, originally planned for 2023 and later 2025, was most recently scheduled for 28 November 2026. It is not yet known whether the fire will cause a further delay.

We are in the final phase of construction and in the technical preparation phase of the rooms, so no artworks were yet on site and none were damaged.

Traffic disruptions

The fire caused significant traffic problems in the area. Police closed the Quai de Willebroek in both directions between Simon Bolivar Boulevard and Place de l'Yser. Motorists were advised to avoid the zone and follow police instructions. The Place Sainctelette itself is already undergoing roadworks, compounding the disruption.

Background on the museum project

The Kanal-Centre Pompidou museum is being built in a former Citroën garage along the Brussels canal. The project has faced repeated delays: it was initially set to open in 2023, then 2025, before the current target of November 2026. In May 2026, the Brussels Region granted a €60 million loan to help complete the works this year. The fire struck the technical roof of the architecture centre wing, one of three buildings in the complex.