It was built in 1553 - 54 by Gilbert van Schoonbeke (1519 - 1556), the brilliant architect, engineer and urbanist. He was also a land speculator and created the so-called "New Town". The name Brouwershuis (lit. Brewers' Building) is really rather misleading, because it was not used for brewing at all. There were, however, many breweries in the vicinity and the Brouwershuis supplied them with water, which explains why the building was also called the 'Waterhuis'.

The old plant is still intact. It comprises a treadmill which drove a machine which scooped up water from below and then emptied it out into vessels on the floor above. From there it was distributed to the breweries via an ingenious network of pipes. The stables, which housed the horses which worked the mill, are still intact too, as is the atmospheric Council Chamber where the Brewers' Guild (founded in 1582) used to meet.