Federal Minister Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés) has proposed that national museums in Brussels should serve as free cooling spaces during extremely hot weather.
According to Bruzz, the minister wants limited museum areas to open without charge when temperatures increase. The initiative would include places like the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Royal Library of Belgium and other federal institutions.
The proposal suggests using their massive atriums, forums, and reception halls – spaces that are usually reserved for paying visitors – into places of temporary refuge. “Visitors can seek relief from the heat there during the institutions’ opening hours,” Matz stated.
Matz's plan explicitly excludes free access to the exhibition galleries themselves. However, it proposes to extending free access to permanent exhibitions during the heatwaves to people with disabilities and their caretakers, as well as under-18s and job seekers. Those aged over 65 would receive a discount.
The access would be activated automatically based on meteorological data as soon as the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) issues a code yellow, orange, or red for extreme heat.
The new cooling areas would remain restricted to regular museum operating schedules, with most federal institutions locking their doors at 17:00.
June heatwave
June's record-breaking heatwave in Belgium likely triggered the proposal. Blistering temperatures pushed the capital's infrastructure to its limits and took a heavy toll on vulnerable people.
Temperatures surpassed 35°C as measured by the official weather station in Uccle. Elderly residents and those living in poorly insulated apartments were forced to crowd into air-conditioned shopping centres, while others sought relief in shaded public parks to escape the punishing afternoon sun.
Forecasters anticipate another severe temperature spike hitting the country later this summer, potentially as early as next week. Brussels currently lacks a comprehensive network of public air-conditioned shelters, leaving municipal authorities scrambling to adapt existing state-owned infrastructure.
