Behind TheMerode’s stately façade on Place Poelaert, a new kind of intellectual and social hub is thriving.
“After Covid, we needed to have spaces in society, places where people from different disciplines could meet physically” explains CEO Lynn Tytgat, who took the helm of the exclusive members' club a year and a half ago. The club, as she describes, is built on that conviction - that in a fragmented city, connection still matters.
Founded in the wake of the pandemic and the closure of the historic Cercle de Lorraine that was based in the same space, TheMerode has evolved into a contemporary agora: a space where culture, dialogue, and civic reflection mingle with work and networking. “We want to be a club that really welcomes difference,” Tytgat says. “Half of our members are of Belgian nationality, half are European or international. 40–45% are women, and 30% are younger than 35.”
A club shaped by culture
More than a co-working space or private lounge, TheMerode is structured around events and experiences. “You join because you’re interested in the programming and in exchanging with people - and you need a place to work,” she says. “We dedicate a very large part to arts and culture. That goes from fine arts to music, literature, design."
Cultural engagement doesn’t stop at the doors of the club. “We really support Belgian artists,” she notes, citing the example of landscape architect Bas Smets, who represented Belgium at the Venice Biennale. “That’s also the reason why we organised a trip to the pavilion - so there was a direct connection, and he is also a member.” For Tytgat, such collaborations illustrate what she calls “links that make sense”.
For Tytgat, TheMerode’s diversity reflects that of Brussels itself. “We’re the most diverse city in the world after Dubai. We have more than 180 nationalities, more than 100 languages,” she says. That reality shapes the club’s mission: to be a space of encounter between different cultures and generations. “You become a member because you’re interested in exchanging with people,” she repeats, emphasising curiosity as the club’s defining quality.
Nurturing emerging leaders
Part of that openness means engaging younger voices. Through a partnership with Belgium’s 40 under 40, TheMerode welcomes new fellows each year. “Every year 40 people join and through our partnership they receive a complimentary membership,” Tytgat explains. “Those are the people we want — the leaders of tomorrow. We want them to come in to fuel this community.”
The CEO knows this firsthand — she went through the 40 Under 40 programme herself. “You’re a fellow, but you need to work for it, and you graduate at the end of the programme, and you’re mentored along the way.”
Tytgat’s own path helps explain her approach. She studied theatre, literature, and European law before working at Belgium’s Permanent Representation to the UN in New York, then at UNESCO, and later as a researcher. Returning to Brussels, she joined the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), working with the late rector Caroline Pauwels to strengthen the university’s link to the city.
She continues to teach media, focusing on constructive journalism — “I wanted to keep the relationship with the university as well.”
Bridging divides
The idea of dialogue runs deep for her, shaped in part by personal history. Tytgat’s grandfather was a member of the resistance during World War II and spent a year and a half in Dachau. “When he entered the concentration camp, he had to wear this red triangle … he was literally labelled,” she says. From that legacy, she draws “the want to be a bridge builder” and “a moral compass.”
She connects that inheritance to a more contemporary challenge: maintaining dialogue across disagreement. “Evil grows if we stop thinking critically and if we stop thinking for ourselves,” she says, quoting that literary and philosophical icon Hannah Arendt. “I think it’s very important to bring in new perspectives and to allow them to exist in society. I’m not talking about facts - facts are non-negotiable - but perspectives stay very, very important.”
As CEO, Tytgat splits her time between strategy, mentoring her team, and staying close to members. She adds that the daily challenge is making sure the club remains a living, breathing community: “I want to continue developing the strategy and actions, but also keep the energy and connections alive every day".
While wearing many hats in her professional life, Tytgat still finds the time (and energy) to live a fulfilling personal life. Culture still animates her outside of her job, particularly some of the classics, like her favourite book - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens : "I think that the first time I read it, I cherished it so much that I thought to myself : I never want to finish it."
Looking ahead
Asked what TheMerode should look like ten years from now, she doesn’t hesitate: “Still on the same track, wanting to combine business and culture.” She envisions a club even more open, connected to sister institutions and reciprocal clubs such as Matador in Madrid, the Arts Club in London and Dubai, or the Core Club in New York and Milan. “We want the house to live throughout the whole day — with concerts, workshops, and discussions.”
Still, for all its ambition, TheMerode’s essence remains modest and human. “The members play a crucial role,” Tytgat insists. “Without them, there is no club.”
Tytgat embodies the same “and… and… and…” philosophy she brings to TheMerode. She is Flemish, Brussels-based, Belgian, European — and she wants the club to reflect that multiplicity. A diversity of members, disciplines, and activities. As she puts it, the “multitude” that Stromae speaks of in his song captures the hyper-diversity of Brussels, and The Merode is meant to be a space where that diversity meets, exchanges, and connects.
No matter when you visit TheMerode, you are likely to see her energetically walking its corridors, making sure everyone is cared for - as you almost certainly will next Tuesday, when the club hosts a debate entitled “Brussels — No Longer a Safe Bet for Investment?', featuring two members of The Brussels Times newsroom, and Thierry Geerts of BECI. It will be exactly the kind of debate she encourages; stimulating, challenging and forward thinking.
If you wish to register for the event, you can do so here. It's free but places are limited so sign up now.
