Philippe Geluck Abandons €7M Cat Museum Project in Brussels

Belgian cartoonist Philippe Geluck has abandoned his long-planned museum dedicated to his iconic deadpan cat character, Le Chat, due to soaring construction costs. The project, first announced in 2015, was to be built in Brussels' museum district on the site of a 1930s building, with a 3,000 m² contemporary structure near Place Royale. Originally scheduled to open in 2019, delays pushed the expected delivery to autumn 2026. Geluck was responsible for financing interior fit-outs—scenography, technical equipment, elevators, electrical installations—estimated at €4.5 million in 2016 but now reaching nearly €7 million due to material price hikes. The overall construction cost ballooned from about €4 million to €15 million, according to the Brussels-Capital Region, which has already spent €14 million. Geluck had planned to fund his share through sales of large bronze sculptures of Le Chat, exhibited on the Champs-Élysées in 2021. Legal negotiations are ongoing: the Region claims Geluck may owe compensation, while he invokes a suspensive clause in the partnership agreement. Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès stated that the site will still host a major museum, with or without Geluck. The fate of Le Chat's museum remains uncertain.