At the end of June 2022, the City of Antwerp received a definitive heritage premium from the Flemish Real Estate Heritage Agency (Vlaams Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed) for the restoration of the historic building the Brouwershuis or Brewers’ House and research into a new use was started. That search is now bearing fruit. 

The non-profit organisation Brouwershuis Antwerpen, which was revived thanks to the patronage of Antwerp’s global company Boortmalt, will ensure that the Brouwershuis is given a new purpose as an educational center.

Important heritage file and monument

The valuable 16th-century Brewers’ House is located in the north of Antwerp, between Adriaan Brouwerstraat and Brouwersvliet. The Brewers’ House was opened as a museum for the first time in 1933. 

Since 1990 it was closed to the public pending a necessary restoration. The Brewers’ House collection has an important value as a whole and is inextricably linked to the building.

Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA): “The Brewers’ House is part of the impressive legacy of Gilbert van Schoonbeke. This 16th-century daredevil and city developer has left a major mark on the appearance of our historic city center, including the Stadswaag and the Graanmarkt. However, the most far-reaching and large-scale projects that were realized under Van Schoonbeke – the finishing of the Spanish city walls and the Nieuwstad with its three canals – are less recognizable today. Only limited remains of the city walls are visible, such as the Kipdorpvest in the Jeanne Brabantstunnel and Jos Brabantstunnel. And the Nieuwstad partly made way for the current Brouwersvliet and the first docks of the Eilandje. The Brewers’ House, which was originally called the Waterhuis and was used for water distribution in the Nieuwstad, is therefore a heritage that we should absolutely cherish. It has an important industrial-archaeological value. For us, this renovation had to be accompanied by a worthy interpretation, so that future generations can also become acquainted with this unique heritage.”

Beer brewing in Antwerp

The Brewers’ House will be given a new purpose as an educational centre where the non-profit organisation Brouwershuis Antwerpen, an association supported by the patronage of Antwerp’s global company Boortmalt, wants to make the Brouwershuis accessible as:

• a location where people passionate about brewing culture – in Antwerp – can come together;
• a home where the history of Antwerp’s brewing culture and water supply is displayed;
• an accessible educational center for companies, educational institutions and anyone interested in the process of beer brewing and malting;
• a center where experimentation in beer brewing is possible;
• a meeting and networking place.

After carrying out the restoration work, the city wishes to make the Brouwershuis available free of charge to the non-profit organisation Brouwershuis Antwerp and concluded an agreement with the basic principles for cooperation and vision.

In this way, the non-profit organisation Brouwershuis Antwerpen can also be involved in the works that the city will carry out with a view to its implementation.

Yvan Schaepman, CEO of Boortmalt: “At Boortmalt, many of our malters are also brewers. The art of brewing is centuries old and fits in perfectly with our history in Antwerp. Water is an important ingredient in the brewing process and it is particularly unique for us to connect the three dimensions (beer, history and water) through the Brewers’ House project. We are bringing new life to the Brewers’ House in the form of an educational center and a networking hub for people who share this passion. This project, which spans time, is not commercially driven and we are proud to have been selected as a patron by the city of Antwerp.”

Mayor Bart De Wever: “The search for a partner association was not easy, because we absolutely wanted to maintain the link between the historical story of the Brewers’ House and the new purpose. The non-profit organisation Brouwershuis not only met all our wishes, but also has the potential to attract many visitors. Antwerp residents and tourists will really feel at home in the restored Brewers’ House. I would like to thank all employees for this. The choice of Boortmalt, an Antwerp global player with a warm heart for Antwerp and our rich beer history, to contribute to the development of the Brewers’ House also deserves praise.”

In June 2024, an architect will be appointed for the renovation of the part that will be occupied by the non-profit organization Brouwershuis. In 2025, the design will be approved, an environmental permit application will be submitted and the search for a contractor will follow. 

The renovation works of the part that will be occupied by the non-profit organisation Brouwershuis will start in the spring of 2026, following the current restoration work on the historic part, and will last approximately one year. 

After the works are completed, a real estate agreement will be drawn up between AG Vespa and the non-profit organization Brouwershuis Antwerpen with agreements about the commissioning of the Brewers’ House.