Uncertainty Surrounds Ghent’s Abandoned Cinema Rex Three Years After Purchase

Three years after city acquisition, the decaying Cinema Rex in Ghent remains empty with uncertain plans for its future, while the local film sector questions whether a 600-seat auditorium matches actual demand, Nieuwsblad reported.

In December 2023, the city development company Sogent paid 1.7 million euros for the vacant cinema located across from Ghent-Sint-Pieters railway station, along with an adjacent building on Smidsestraat. Sami Souguir, then serving as the alderman for culture, called the purchase a unique opportunity. Initial plans promised complete renovation and a reopening for film screenings by the end of 2027. The city secured a deal with Film Fest Gent to establish a permanent operations hub featuring offices, a café, and a secondary screening room in the neighboring property.

Structural Investigations and Rising Costs Delay Site Reuse

Today, uncertainty surrounds those initial projections. A behind-the-scenes investigation into the site’s potential reuse is currently underway to determine permitted structural interventions. Astrid De Bruycker, the current alderman for culture, noted earlier this year that authorities expect the results by the end of the year, which will inform a comprehensive strategy for the entire location. Securing sufficient financing remains a major hurdle. A 2023 financial estimate placed the renovation costs at over 3 million euros, a figure expected to have risen significantly since then.

Industry Skepticism Over Auditorium Size

Members of the Ghent film community have voiced doubts regarding the viability of the project in its current scope. A recently compiled vision note, aggregating the perspectives of roughly fifty industry professionals including festivals, cinema operators, filmmakers, and distributors, questions whether the old cinema is far too large. The document indicates a market demand for intimate screening rooms holding 100 to 200 seats at most, rather than a single 600-seat hall. Contributors to the note suggest public funds might be better spent distributing smaller cultural initiatives across the city’s neighborhoods.

The sector also envisions a physical gathering space akin to the Wintercircus used by the local tech community, combining workspaces, meeting rooms, writing spaces, and screening facilities to anchor young production houses to Ghent. However, professionals remain skeptical that the Rex building serves as the appropriate venue for such a multifunctional hub.

Residents Urge Entrepreneurs to Prevent Building Abandonment

Meanwhile, local residents watch the structure deteriorate further, with growing concern that the property will face prolonged vacancy or outright abandonment. The building previously housed a casino for many years, though that operation has since been cleared out. Addressing the stagnation, local resident and VRT journalist Tom Van de Weghe issued a public appeal on social media urging entrepreneurs and financial backers to convene. Drawing a parallel to a restored classic cinema in Palo Alto, California, which he frequented while living abroad, Van de Weghe proposed forming a coalition of private investors and organizations with a cultural mandate, patterned after the collaborative model used at the Wintercircus.