Artistic hub at Manchester 13-15/17-19

Located a stone's throw from the canal, the "Manchester 13-15", "Manchester 17-19" and "Birmingham 30" sites are adjacent to the Brussels’ home of Charleroi Danse (Raffinerie-Plan K) and are in the immediate vicinity of Cinemaximiliaan. These three plots represent a total floor area of 6,500 m² and offer an above-ground floor area of approximately 9,500 m².

Owned by the Region since 2017 for the "Manchester 17-19", since 2018 for the "Manchester 13-15", and since 2021 for the "Birmingham 30" site, the buildings were formerly operated by various economic activities, including the famous Graeffe refinery and the La Bodega nightclub.


Currently, part of the premises are occupied by Recyclart, Vaartkapoen and Damaged Goods/Decoratelier, with a view to prefiguring the future programming of the site.

By 2028, the buildings will be redeployed into a new productive "hub" of cultural, artistic and creative nature. The main objective is to promote the emergence in this district of a centre dedicated to creativity (cultural hall, workshops, companies, etc.) bringing together a series of players from the cultural and artistic sectors, active in Brussels.

This project is part of the dynamic of functional diversity promoted by the Brussels-Capital Region in its Canal Plan.

The SAU is the delegated client for this project

It carried out the preliminary studies that made it possible to define the general development principles of the site as well as the future management model of the productive hub.  Today, the SAU-MSI is piloting the redevelopment of the existing sites

The first works are expected to start at the end of 2024.  The end of the work is scheduled for the end of 2027.

Project managers

  • Bruno ALLARDIN