University Hall is being prepared for the future

Currently, the outer shell of the University Hall in Leuven is being restored. The Rector's Office is also undergoing a thorough renovation. These works aim to protect the iconic building from the ravages of time and to bring it up to current sustainability standards. The project is expected to take about a year.

The monumental building on Naamsestraat is often the first place where new students encounter the university. It is also the place where it all began for the university. For many centuries, this hall has been the nerve center of the university. Throughout the centuries, the building has had various functions. Today, it houses the rector and vice-rectors with their staff, as well as several university services. The stately Museum Hall also houses the university shop and the cozy coffee bar KUp, a meeting place for students, staff, and visitors of the university.
You can now also view the model of the University Hall, which burned down in 1914. It reminds every visitor of the madness of war and the vulnerability of cultural heritage therein. After being displayed for a considerable time at the site of the Yser Tower, the model ended up in Leuven via several intermediate steps. Given its symbolic value and the message it conveys, KU Leuven is delighted and grateful to add this donation to its heritage collections and to exhibit it in the rebuilt and soon-to-be-restored University Hall.

"During the renovation works, the outer shell and the Rector's Office are being addressed," explain Nathalie Kok and Luc Karremans, project managers of the Technical Services. "We approach this with the utmost respect for the history of the building, which is a protected monument."

The outer shell is being carefully restored. The majority of the facade stones have already been thoroughly cleaned in the past two decades; now the facades around the southern inner courtyard are being rinsed. Additionally, the mortar and missing or outdated natural stone elements of all facades are being supplemented or restored. The exterior joinery is also being addressed entirely: steel and stained glass windows are being restored, wooden windows are being renovated or replaced, and new thermal glazing is being installed. Finally, several roof surfaces are being restored and insulated to optimize indoor climate and reduce heat loss.

In conjunction with these restoration works, the Rector's Office on the second floor is undergoing a thorough refurbishment to ensure that the University Hall better meets contemporary sustainability standards. Lighting, heating, and ventilation are being renewed, and the offices and rooms are being refreshed. Existing lighting is being replaced with energy-efficient LED lighting. The existing heating and ventilation systems are being replaced with a heat pump and a ventilation system with efficient heat recovery, enabling the Rector's Office's climate control to be completely fossil-free and energy-efficient.

The reception, university shop, and the coffee bar KUp on the ground floor remain accessible during the renovation period, as do the university services in the building.

Rector's Relocation

During the works, a part of the occupants of the second floor of the University Hall will be housed in the building of KU Leuven Research & Development in Minderbroedersstraat, within walking distance of the University Hall. This includes the rector and vice-rectors, their staff, and the Press and Policy Communication service. After the works, presumably by the end of 2024, they will return to the University Hall.

The university received a special heritage premium for this renovation. The university is also very grateful to the Flemish Government for its support and financial contribution to preserving the heritage value of the University Hall.

"KU Leuven has a centuries-old history and today takes care of both its real estate and movable heritage, which is the result of that history," says Flemish Minister Matthias Diependaele. "The University Hall is one of its heritage gems. The nerve center of the university, every new student passes through here to enroll. The University Hall is 700 years old and was originally built as a cloth hall. Leuven was internationally famous for its cloth industry at that time. So, we have been using this monument for 700 years, in terms of sustainability, that's something. Thanks to the restorations, it will be more energy-efficient, thus preparing it for future generations of students. As Minister of Heritage, I am happy to contribute to this project."

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