Today, BRON, our new research centre, opens its doors
BRON is the new scientific research centre of Musea Brugge for research into the Bruges art and heritage collection. Together with BRUSK and the surrounding museum park, BRON forms the beating heart of the Bruges Museum Quarter.
As one of the three Flemish Cultural Heritage Institutions, Musea Brugge plays an exemplary role in collection research. Every day, eight full-time researchers from Musea Brugge work, together with external experts, on the Bruges collection.
The new research centre BRON will facilitate in-depth research and fully focus on knowledge sharing of research results. The building houses the museum library, a consultation room of the Print Room, various meeting and brainstorming spaces, and the offices of the researchers of Musea Brugge.
By bringing these functions together under one roof, BRON is a boost for the scientific collection research of Musea Brugge.
In addition, it is directly connected to the back office of BRUSK, where an important part of the collection will be stored in the future and where the restoration workshops will be established.
The new research centre forms the brain of Musea Brugge, where our rich art and heritage collection is studied, and new insights are shared with the world.
International
BRON offers researchers from all over the world, as well as guides, students, heritage enthusiasts, and museum staff an inspiring environment to collaborate, share knowledge, and discover new connections. By centralizing knowledge and collection research, BRON becomes a catalyst for global research into the Bruges art and heritage collection.
BRON is a place where researchers and art lovers from home and abroad come together, where ideas emerge, and where the history of our city is rediscovered and passed on to new generations.
Research with an eye on the future
The research centre focuses on four research pillars that guide the scientific work of Musea Brugge. Art from the Burgundian and Habsburg periods remains an important focal point, complemented by research into the long 19th century, applied arts and crafts, and contemporary art and culture.
BRON is connected via a passageway to BRUSK, where the most fragile collections - the collections of paintings and works on paper - are stored. The connection between the two buildings enables a safe and efficient exchange between the depot, restoration workshops, and research centre, further enhancing high-level research.
Starting in 2027, the consultation room of the Print Room will also open in BRON. Here, internal and external researchers can consult and study the 23,000 works on paper from the Print Room in an optimal environment.
The museum library as a knowledge hub
The museum library is the centerpiece of BRON. It is more than a collection of books: it is a stimulating place where researchers and visitors can go to read, study, discuss, consult works, and exchange ideas. Thanks to the combination of physical collections and extensive digital services – including online catalogs, e-exhibitions and scan-on-demand – knowledge about the Bruges museum collections is more accessible than ever.
A source of inspiration
BRON is an inviting place where science, collection management, and public engagement reinforce each other. The results of the research are translated into inspiring exhibitions, publications, lectures, and digital projects that elevate the art experience in Bruges. BRON becomes an anchor point for in-depth collection research and a source of inspiration for a broad audience.
