BPI Real Estate and Immobel plan to start the redevelopment of De Brouckère in the autumn of 2020
- Mixed project meets the demand for a high quality of living and working in the city
- Attention to greenery and mobility
- Respect for the existing property
People want a high quality of living and working in the city. In line with this, Brussels has seen several achievements in recent years, such as the pedestrian zone, the reconstruction of the Place de la Monnaie/Muntplein, the renovation of the Quartier des Quais/Kaaienwijk and restriction of its traffic and the Kanal-Centre Pompidou. The latest project in this list is the redevelopment of the De Brouckère complex by developers BPI Real Estate and Immobel. They will transform the buildings entirely, partly in the Belle Époque style, to a revitalised part of the city, taking into account the latest insights on sustainable urban policy and respect for the Brussels identity.
Living, working, shopping, relaxing
With a combination of offices, shops, a hotel, apartments and student accommodation, the city, developers and architects aim to attract a varied public and thus bring dynamism back to one of the most famous neighbourhoods in Brussels. (detail: see technical sheet)
Green and history
The heart of the complex will be formed by a large courtyard garden with green façades. Mobility is an important topic due to its central location, and a mixed transport park will be closely matched to the needs of local users. Although most of the complex will be rebuilt, the historic façades in the Belle Époque style of the buildings on Place De Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein will be preserved.
The architects’ design - the Danish Henning Larsen and the Brussels A2RC - is characterised by surprising volumes and use of various materials and offers plenty of open space, light and air.
“In our work, we start out from the context of the city, and in this project, we wanted to make it really feel like a part of Brussels,” said Jacob Kurek, partner at Henning Larsen Architects. “We wanted to bring back De Brouckère’s original energy. Inspired by the way in which the city of Brussels has changed positively in recent years, we created a design in which accessibility and permeability are central, for example by alternating the four most important façades (a combination of old and new) with glimpses through to the green spaces in the middle. This allows us to strike a balance in the hustle and bustle that is so characteristic of Place De Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein.”
Technical data sheet
Developers: BPI Real Estate and Immobel (50/50)
Architects: Henning Larsen Architects (Denmark) - A2RC (Belgium)
Programme: total 40,400 m² (today: 43,700 m²)
- 182 apartments
- 129 student rooms
- Hotel with 145 rooms
- Office building of 8,840m²
- 3,220m² retail space
Planning (subject to the date of the final authorisation)
- Spring 2020 to end 2020: temporary use
- Autumn 2020: decommissioning works
- Beginning of 2021: start of demolition
- Summer 2021: start of construction
- Mid 2024: Estimated completion date
Download the complete version of the press release hereunder:
