The Boekentoren, more than a monument
On 12 September 2021, during Heritage Open Day, the public was able to step inside the restored Boekentoren for the first time in years. Five years on, this marks a fitting moment to reflect on the story of the University Library.
A phased 'reopening'
In 2007, Ghent University appointed the architectural team responsible for drawing up the master plan and restoration designs: Robbrecht en Daem architecten, alongside BARO, SumProject, and Barbara Van der Wee architecten. Contractors officially got to work in 2012. The tower physically closed its doors to the general public, allowing the works to begin.
Nine years later, in the summer of 2021, the study area and reading room reopened. Shortly after, the public was welcomed back during Open Monumentendag on 12 September, which featured the first guided tours of the low-rise building and the Belvedère. This was followed a few days later by a visit from King Philippe and his family, as well as the official opening of the academic year on 24 September, complete with the traditional procession departing from the Boekentoren.
Together, these milestones marked the gradual resumption of library operations within the building itself. Operations that, even while the Boekentoren was closed for renovation, had largely continued.
More than a monument
When people think of the Boekentoren, heritage quickly comes to mind: the building, the Belvedère, and the rich heritage collection. As a heritage library, the Boekentoren preserves and provides access to a unique collection that attracts visitors and researchers from well beyond Ghent. However, the Boekentoren is equally a scientific research library. Together with the faculty libraries, it forms Ghent University Library, a network providing the Ghent University community and external researchers with various services: from study spaces and reading rooms to guidance on research and information skills, teaching support, open access, and data management.
Through its transition plan UB2030, Ghent University Library is focusing over the coming years (2026–2030) on several vital transitions: developing campus libraries into knowledge and learning centres, establishing a dedicated digital infrastructure for research output and fair, open publishing models, and strengthening its role as a hub where people gather around knowledge, both within Ghent University and with external partners.
On the way to 2027
What many people might not realise is that the restoration of the Boekentoren is not yet complete. The works will continue until 2027, when the overall Boekentoren site project will finally be concluded.
Coincidentally, this aligns with another milestone. 2027 marks exactly seventy years since the death of architect Henry van de Velde. The Boekentoren is already working towards that year alongside various partners, including the Henry van de Velde Foundation, with a special focus on the life and work of the architect who originally designed the building.
That is why the Boekentoren is holding back on a grand celebration for now: the official event will take place once the restoration is fully completed in the spring of 2027. In the meantime, the Boekentoren continues to do what it has done for ninety years, and what the entire University Library delivers every single day: providing a high-quality, flexible library service tailored to the Ghent University community.