Ghent – A construction accident at Ghent University has caused significant damage to its historical architectural plans and archives. Archivist Isabel Rotthier cautions that drying may distort the scales of the documents, and their usability will depend on ongoing freeze-drying and restoration efforts, reports 24brussels.
As VRT News reports, the university is confronting a serious challenge following the incident that affected its valuable historical archives. Experts are employing a freeze-drying process to protect the damaged papers and prevent further decay. Subsequently, restoration teams will attempt to repair the documents, a process that is complex and time-consuming. Archivists remain hopeful but are cautious about the prospects for saving the materials.
“If water gets on documents, bubbles will form when that water dries,”
Isabel Rotthier of the archives explains the challenges posed by the water damage.
“That will also be the case with our historical building plans.”
What will happen to Ghent University’s flood-damaged plans?
Officials are primarily concerned about the condition of the original documents. While Ghent University has scanned many of its historic building plans, providing a digital backup, these copies cannot substitute for the originals. Architects, construction specialists, and researchers often require the details found in the physical plans, which scans may not fully capture.
Isabel Rotthier notes the importance of scale: “The building plans have a scale. And it’s questionable whether that scale will still be accurate once the plans have dried. They might be distorted, and the scale will no longer be usable.”
Experts indicate that the university will likely not know until the end of this year whether it can depend on the restored plans for construction or research purposes. The outcome will determine if the institution can access crucial historical information needed for the maintenance, renovation, and study of its buildings.
At the end of August 2025, while constructing a new bicycle parking facility on campus, workers accidentally drilled through the walls of the archive, allowing mud and water to flood the storage area and severely damage the documents within. Among the affected materials were the historic building plans of Ghent University.
University staff and archivists face uncertainty regarding the future usability of these documents, compounded by the ongoing evaluation of the accident’s documentation. The damaged documents have been sent to a specialist in the Netherlands for further assessment.
