If you are an international student and you are looking for a place to meet other international or Belgian students, Rits Cafe is your bar. The modern design creates an environment suitable for young people and makes Rits Cafe the place to go after class and spend the afternoon exploring other cultures and doing various activities.
An original idea
The idea of creating a cultural cafe for students came five years ago from Sovehb, a student organization of Erasmushogeschool Brussels. However, this idea was not materialized until September 2009, when Rits Cafe was finally inaugurated. The main purpose was to enhance Brussels as a student city by showing people inside Rits Cafe what is outside. It was necessary to offer a comfortable environment and to create a feeling of being at home among the Flemish students and the international ones.
Location Rits Cafe is located in Dansaertstraat, one of the most privileged streets of Brussels. This place was chosen for two reasons: Firstly, because the Campus Rits is also situated in this street; secondly, because this is a street full of large shop windows. The large window panes in Rits enable passers-by to observe through the glass the talent of students, who have their own identity. Moreover, it is a good way for students to discover what they could find outside.
Events Ben Van Beeck, a Sovehb representative, organizes a wide variety of culture-related events. The main purpose is a social one, namely to bring students together, to create a common feeling among them and also to make a connection between the students and the university. The other one is to promote culture among young people and to organize cultural activities like concerts, watching movies and also the international evenings, which are held every Tuesday. There exist agreements between Rits Cafe and cinemas, theatres and other cultural institutions, which make it easier for students to get in contact with culture. By advertising the events happening in its premises, the Rits can make special offers and discounts for students. Rits Cafe is like a cafeteria but at five o’clock every afternoon from Monday to Friday, it turns into a cultural cafe.
Environment and design Rits Cafe was designed by Samyn, a very famous and recognized architect, who also designed Campus Rits and Campus Dansaert. Firstly, the place had a beautiful look but the functionality was poor, so a big amount of money had to be invested into its reconstruction. Painted in red, white and black colours, Rits Cafe is of a modern design. It has a big terrace which creates a pleasant atmosphere for young people. On some walls, you can find advertisements of upcoming events and on the biggest one there are black and white pictures of famous Belgian artists who studied at the Rits. To encourage students to organize their own events, facilities like wide screens, loudspeakers and even massage chairs are at disposal. They entertain students and remind them that Sovehb is there to help them relax.