M moves the art out of the town hall

In good hands

M moves the art out of the town hall

We have to be patient for three more years before we can celebrate the festive reopening of Leuven’s town hall. Until 2029, the Gothic gem will undergo a restoration that is as meticulous as it is thorough. This will inevitably bring dirt, dust, and vibrations. As a result, the many artworks in the town hall have been temporarily removed. These include dozens of paintings and over 850 sculptures stored in the attic – among them original 15th-century pedestals from the exterior niches, alongside plaster models used in the 19th century to create new façade sculptures.

M manages the town hall’s art collection. To prepare the valuable and often fragile works for relocation, experts from M, Hannah De Moor and Benedicte Dierickx, coordinated and supervised the project. On the following pages, you’ll see them at work, together with partners from Object Care and IPARC. The paintings have been taken down from the walls and ceilings. Some large canvases had to be rolled up to fit through the doorways. Currently, the paintings are being conserved or restored. This ensures that they will be ready to hang in their original places from 2029 onwards.

Verhuizing beeldenzolder Stadhuis Leuven — Foto: Esther Máire voor Object Care

The sculptures were inventoried, cleaned, and packed. They were subsequently lowered one by one through a hole in the floor and transported to an external storage facility. After the reopening, they will return to the sculpture attic, where they will be on display to the public.