Urban has recently granted planning permission for the restoration and conversion of the former Riches Claires monastery. This decision is an important step towards safeguarding this exceptional heritage site in the heart of Brussels, a process recently bolstered by the launch of a procedure to list a former tributary of the river Senne as well as the monastic brewery, both of which are connected to the monastery.
In the heart of the Brussels Pentagon, a stone’s throw from the Grand-Place and the Saint-Géry neighbourhood, the former Riches Claires convent is getting ready for a new chapter in its history. This listed heritage site has suffered neglect and decay for a long time, and is now one of the last big eyesore heritage sites in the city centre.
Thanks to the planning permission granted by Urban, the site will be able to undergo extensive restoration and accommodate new associative, social and residential facilities. The project is led by the Sant’Egidio Association and aims to preserve the heritage site while giving it a contemporary function that benefits the local community, through the creation of a social restaurant, multi-purpose spaces, offices, housing units and meeting places that are open to the neighbourhood.
Preservation of the heritage elements
The renovation project pays particular attention to the preservation of the historical elements. Archaeological and heritage research carried out at the site has helped to steer the project towards a restoration that respects the monastery’s original features. The façades will be restored, several original joinery features will be preserved and the cloister’s characteristic arched windows will be reconstructed to restore the architectural coherence that the site has lost over the past centuries.
A dialogue between the past and the present
The project also involves the construction of a new, contemporary wing on the corner of Rue des Riches Claires and Rue Saint-Christophe. Far from a standalone architectural gesture, this wing was designed to dialogue with the existing historic buildings. Its installation makes it possible to restore the continuity of the built environment around the former cloister, while creating a new, active urban façade. A community café and spaces opening out onto the city will help to strengthen the links between the heritage site and the public space, providing the neighbourhood with a new place for socialising and meeting people.
Planting
The cloister’s courtyard and garden will also undergo a major refurbishment. The cloister’s courtyard and garden will be renovated in keeping with their historical layout and will feature more greenery. Part of the garden, which is currently off-limits, will be open to the public during the day, offering local residents a new space to relax in a very densely populated neighbourhood.
The renewal of the Riches Claires site is part of a wider drive to promote heritage. In fact, in 2026, Urban also started up a procedure to list two iconic elements on the same block: a former tributary of the river Senne and the monastery’s former brewery and bakery. These exceptional remains bear witness to the site’s medieval history, at a time when the river Senne shaped the economic life in the centre of Brussels and provided for the religious communities on the site.
The start of the procedure to have these elements listed and the authorisation to restore and repurpose the convent are both part of the same ambition: preserving the Riches Claires’ various layers of history and restoring their place in today’s city. This exceptional site, which combines a centre of religious life, a place of industry and a testament to Brussels’ urban development, illustrates how heritage can contribute to the quality of urban life. Thanks to this project, the Riches Claires will be able to sustainably reclaim their role at the heart of the neighbourhood and the historic centre of Brussels.
