Close to the Grote Markt, the city hall and the Brabo fountain, today the Butchers’ Hall is a real must-see. This iconic landmark is located in the middle of what was once a picturesque working-class neighbourhood.
1504: A guildhall with style
The architectural style used is Brabant late Gothic. The pointed Gothic windows are typical of the time. The Butchers’ Hall has seven floors. Its high roof stands out in the Antwerp skyline. It appears on all panoramas and views drawn or photographed from the Left Bank. So feel free to call the Butchers’ Hall the city’s first skyscraper. Its five pagoda towers and numerous ‘speklagen’ (facades with red bricks and white mortar) catch the eye. The stair towers are identical to those in the city’s rich merchant houses and patrician residences. The ‘speklagen’ have nothing to do with meat trade: it is a fashion phenomenon that remained trendy well into the 17th century.
2006: A music museum
Today, Museum Butchers’ Hall tells the story of 800 years of music in the city. With sounds and instruments, you will discover how music was experienced in the cities, at court and in popular concert and dance halls. Among other things, the Butchers’ Hall preserves the second largest collection of Antwerp harpsichords in the world. Antwerp was the European capital for harpsichord building in the 16th and 17th centuries: the Ruckers-Couchet families were world leaders.
2025: A total restoration
Museum Butchers’ Hall is preparing for the future: restoration works will start in April 2025. During the guided tour, you will learn all about the future plans for the new music museum. The museum’s main entrance will be moved to the Scheldt side: in the current basement there will be a reception area and a museum shop. The former butchers’ market hall will become a “City Hall”, a large space for all kinds of concerts and other cultural events. The higher floors will include the new permanent exhibition, spaces for temporary exhibitions, a research library, offices, studios and workshop spaces. New stairs and a lift will improve accessibility: all seven floors will be open to the public after the restoration.
Practical information:
- This guided tour is suitable for groups
- Maximum 15 persons per group
- Duration: 90 minutes