The movable and immovable heritage of the VUB

Our immoveable heritage

After the founding of our university in 1969-1970, a new university campus was built on the former training grounds of the military barracks in Elsene-Etterbeek. It was the start of a story of constant evolution. Of building, rebuilding, renovating, and adding on. Through successive renovations, the campus became a diverse entity, which slowly moved beyond its boundaries and also influenced its surroundings. Today, some of the first campus buildings in their brutalist and modernist style, typical of the early 1970s, are characteristic of VUB campuses. But what at first glance appears to be a jungle of concrete also includes new, innovative construction projects, architectural gems, recognised monuments, and hidden treasures.

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The Braem building, heart of the VUB

The rectorate building, designed by architect Renaat Braem in the shape of an ellipse, is a striking icon. With its indentations in the overhang and the murals inside, it embodies the ideology of the VUB.

Willy Van Der Meeren student rooms

The very first and by now indeed legendary VUB student rooms from 1972-1973 get a new lease of life today. At the time the rooms were built, their design could be called experimental. Today, they are a place for experimental teaching and scientific research.

Former Royal Ice Cellars

The ice cellars of VUB in Auderghem, dating back to the 19th century, have an area of 6,000 m². They fell into disuse after World War I with the advent of refrigerators, but were preserved as industrial archaeological monuments.

Organising a visit?

Would you like to organise a visit to one of the special buildings on campus? Korei organises guided campus walks and tours for groups in the rectorate building, the ice cellars and the former student rooms on request. Well worth a visit!

More info

An individual visit for artistic purposes?

Would you like to visit our heritage individually for artistic purposes, e.g. a photo reportage, drawing session or a prospecting visit for film shoots? You can request access and permission to photograph or film via our infradesk. Access is subject to security and availability of locations and staff to provide access.

Request access

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Our movable and immaterial heritage

Besides our buildings and monuments, our heritage also includes valuable movable and immovable heritage. A large collection can be found in CAVA, the Centre for Academic and Liberal Archives, which manages the movable heritage of the VUB. Our students can also rely on a unique intangible cultural heritage: St V, the celebration of freedom in the streets of Brussels. Since 2020, this celebration of the memory of our founder Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen has been included by the Brussels Capital Region in the inventory of immaterial cultural heritage. Reason: the celebration contributes to the "multiple, independent and rebellious character of Brussels'.

Visit the CAVA website.

More than 3 running kilometres of documents and artefacts: the Centre for Academic and Secular Archives contains a wealth of movable heritage of our university.