Concertgebouw (Concert building), Bruges

The Concert building (Concertgebouw) is a major performing arts center in Bruges. It was built when the city was selected as the European Capital of Culture along with Salamanca in Spain, by the European Union, in 2002.

A competition for the design of a large performing arts venue was launched by the city and the building plan by architects, Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem from Ghent was selected. The design was chosen because of its excellent acoustics, aesthetic beauty and functional practicality. The Concert building was constructed between the years 2000 and 2002 and inaugurated in the presence of the King and Queen of Belgium on February the 20th 2002. Funds for building the structure was provided by the City of Bruges, the Flemish community and the Province of Flanders.

The Concert building is a modern performing arts facility in Bruges. Music, music, theater, classical and contemporary dance performances are held here. Local composers and choreographers are promoted by the organization. The building has a concert hall that can seat over a thousand people and a smaller chamber music hall with 320 seats. Most of the rooms offer a spectacular view of the City Center of Bruges. Besides their own productions, halls can be rented for music and dance performances and for conferences, art shows and other events.