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The present Mechelen Town Hall consists of three distinct parts; the former cloth hall, an exuberant flamboyant palace and a new contemporary construction. The oldest part, a sober Gothic cloth hall with belfry, symbol of civic power, modeled on the one at Bruges, was never finished, because the once so important cloth trade could not raise the necessary funds anymore. The damage caused by the great fire (1342) that swept nearly the whole town, was fortunately rather limited. Throughout the ages this cloth hall has been restored and even altered with the 17th century Baroque elements.

In the early 16th C when cloth trade was lingering, plans were made to replace the hall by a new palace for the supreme court of law, the Great Council. As the plans drawn by R. Keldermans remained unfinished, this council moved about 1614 into the Court of Savoy, the former palace of Margaret of Austria (the present court house). The works stopped in 1547 and some of this unfinished and neglected site were even sold to local merchants to be used as shop or storage.

The east wing of the building has eventually been finished in the 20th century. This according to Keldermans original plan. In a niche on the first floor, overlooking the busy market place, thrones a self-satisfied but rather grim Charles the Fifth. The street side façade has a nineteen -column arcade and an elaborate gate with a wooden statue of Sint Rombold, giving access to a small but dignified courtyard around a statue by E. Wijnants "Mother and Child".

The place interior is worthwhile too, but only open to groups accompanied by a local official guide. On the first floor we find the columned Reception Room, the Council Chamber and the Wedding Hall. In the first we can admire an exquisite 16th Century tapestry, made in Brussels by "de Pannemaeker", representing "the battle of Tunis".

Another point of interest is the Council Chamber, where every month the Town Council meets. The renaissance-styled woodwork was made during World War I by Mechelen carpenters in order to avoid deportation to Germany. The third and last part of the town hall is the quite contested new L-shaped wing from 1975. It contrasts strongly with the other historical parts of the complex.

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