# BELGIUM | Projects & Construction



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

This thread will contain interesting lesser-known projects and link through to big project threads in the international forum. Click on any of the square thumbnails to go to those threads.












[/url]​
Belgium was the first continental European country to undergo the Industrial Revolution, and featured the first continental railway and one of the first European skyscrapers. Its location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helped make it the world's 15th largest trading nation in 2007. GDP per capita is $46,878, Belgium features the densest railway network of the world, the densest road network of the world, the busiest railway tunnel in the world an the Port of Antwerp is second largest in Europe, etc. The downside is that Belgium’s a very polluted area for West-European standards and open space is scarce, since urban planning hasn’t really been enforced since the late 20th century.

recent projects​












































​


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Résidence Palace*
(architect: Phillipe Samyn)

The Résidence Palace is a complex of buildings in the European Quarter of Brussels. It is currently being renovated (estimated completion: 2013) for use by the European Council, mainly, and even also (for some occasions) by the Council of the European Union as a summit building. The work will renovate the existing sections of bloc A, demolish the 1960s extended facade and connect up the two wings to turn the L-shape into a cube. The extension would form a large glass atrium surrounding an urn or lantern shaped structure housing the meeting rooms. The facade of the new extension will be a "patchwork of traditional wood-frame windows from different European countries" with meeting and press rooms covering over 6000 square metres in an urn-shaped structure, each floor varying in size. The original 1920s part of the palace will be restored and also form part of the complex. The building will also be the first in Belgium to be continuously monitored by environmental auditors, it will have solar panels on the roof and recycle rain water.






































25304275​


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Schuman Square*

Right next to Résidence Palace lies the Schuman roundabout, the centre of the European quarter. The project compromises of a traffic tunnel, a new railway tunnel, the upgrade of the existing train station and integration with the existing metro station.




Filou said:


> http://www.v-c.be/nl/nmbs-station-schuman


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Ghent, City Library*
architect: Aranda-Pigem-Vilalta (Girona) ism. Coussée & Goris (Gent)


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Mons Train Station*
architect: Santiago Calatrava


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Hasselt Courthouse*
architect: LENS°ASS Architects, J. Mayer H. Architecture, a2o-architecten


----------



## Mike____ (Mar 15, 2009)

^^ It turned out pretty nice!
and the Mons Train Station looks awesome!


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

^^ Yes, it looks stunning, I can't wait to 'see the dragon rise' 

Made a new thread about urban renewal in the north Antwerp, you can read it by clicking on the icon below (or in the first post).


​


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Belview Residences | 90 meter | 295 ft | 27 fl*
(architects: A2CR architects and Jaspers - Eyers & Partners)

Right in the European neighborhood, a new project recently entered construction phase. It is set to rise on a plot that has been vacant for over 4 decades. The building that used to be there was demolished by the government to widen an important traffic corridor and to build a tunnel mound. Set to feature 5.200 sqm of offices, 24.500 sqm of residences, 1.500 sqm of retail and 196 units of underground parking, this project will finally bring back some residents to the European neighborhood. 

















































































47160998​
(warning: cheesy promotion video!)


----------



## Minsk (Jul 21, 2008)

*Espace Culturel Victor Jara / L’Escaut Architectures + Bureau d’études Weinand*

*Architects:* L’Escaut Architectures + Bureau d’études Weinand
*Location:* Van Zeeland Square, Soignies, Belgium
*Project Team:* Michael Bianchi, Florence Hoffmann, Pierre Larauza, François Lichtle, Olivier Bastin, Eloisa Astudillo
*Project Area:* 1,950 sqm
*Photographs:* Filip Dujardin, Courtesy of L’Escaut

The site is in the middle of the historical center of Soignies, a stone throw away from the imposing XII century collegiate that overshadows the surrounding fields. The Senne, a river that was buried underground in the beginning of the XXth century, draws the outer limit of the site.

Its invisible presence, as well as the massive church above the site, invited a topographical exploration on the project with these two elements as anchors. The building is covered with rough stone crust. Its forms evoke a strange rock emerging from the ground, as evidence of the town’s original bond with its stone.

The proposal goes beyond its initial ambition, which is the construction of a performing arts hall by including in its scope the rich outdoor carnival and local festivals. The project contains, in its morphology, the two sides of the local cultural dynamic: institutional culture inside the building, and popular culture outside and on the building, following the external walks and a stepped slope that doubles up as outdoors seating for street festivals, carnival and other events, or simply welcome occasional pedestrians.

Laid on the Van Zeeland square, the building was designed as an extension of the public space that surrounds it: it penetrates in the interior by numerous entrances around the building. The hall footprint was limited to allow a new public square on the East side.
This square appears as an outside foyer. It becomes part of the medieval tissue of streets, lanes and squares. The interior foyers are entirely glazed and cover the entirety of the façades. They transform what could have been a closed box into an open space that lights the city when evening falls.

In this project, l’Escaut capitalizes on programme margins to maximise play and discovery opportunities in the urban space: plays on the outside stairs, during the walk up. The artist Domitienne Cuvelier joins this approach. She places wood benches around stone games on the new square, and surrounds them with trees and plants whose seeds can be used as chips in the games.

In contrast with the airy foyers, the hall is submerged in darkness thanks to its acoustic dyed. The surface of the stage stretches to half of the total surface, which makes possible large-scale dance and theatre shows. The telescopic seating (from 400 to 600) guarantees use flexibility according to the nature of the show. The highest gallery, which has the same visibility curve as the seating, invites you to dive into the stage space.

As a result of a public/private cooperation between the city Soignies, the Belgian French Community and Dexia Bank, the new cultural polyvalent hall has the ambitions of the high and demanding level that the tool provides. This allows the city Soignies to imagine their cultural offer on a regional scale.

This project follows an architecture competition, won by the temporary association l’ Escaut & the study office Weinand.

*Source: *www.archdaily.com


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Aalst Rail Station Offices*
(architect: ABSCIS)


----------



## Minsk (Jul 21, 2008)

*Indimmo Roeselare Office / BURO II & Archi+I*

*Architects:* BURO II & Archi+I
*Location:* Roeselare, Belgium
*Design Team:* Bart Decloedt, Katty Ghekiere
*Project Year:* 2012
*Photographs:* DSP Fotostudio

www.archdaily.com


----------



## Eric Offereins (Jan 1, 2004)

Nice overview. Some pretty good architecture.


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

Yes, there's some rather nice industrial/office architecture along the E403


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

Brussels crane skyline :rock:


----------



## Thermo (Oct 25, 2005)

Brussels 'ALOFT' hotel (sorry for the big pic)


----------



## Minsk (Jul 21, 2008)

*Academie MWD Dilbeek / Carlos Arroyo*

*Architects:* Carlos Arroyo
*Location:* Dilbeek, Belgium
*Associate Architects:* ELD Partnership
*Project Year:* 2012
*Photographs:* Miguel de Guzmán

*Source: *www.archdaily.com


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

Thermo said:


> Brussels 'ALOFT' hotel (sorry for the big pic)


Picture of Belview, a highrise of 90m under construction in the European Quarter. You can make out ALOFT in the right of the picture.










© ced_flanders


----------



## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

Asymptote Architecture just proposed this project for the headquarters of a regional bank in Ghent:


----------



## Minsk (Jul 21, 2008)

*Sport Facilities De Warande in Wetteren / Venhoeven CS in collaboration with BURO II & ARCHI+I*

*Architects:* Venhoeven CS in collaboration with BURO II & ARCHI+I
*Location:* Wetteren, Belgium
*Designing Architect: *VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism
*Project Year:* 2012
*Project Area: *4,411 sqm
*Photographs: *Filip Dujardin

*Source: *www.archdaily.com


----------



## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Any opening date?


----------



## Puinkabouter (Jan 8, 2007)

If everything goes according to plan, trial service should start February 2024, and full service on April 24, 2024.


----------



## MarciuSky2 (Apr 10, 2021)

*Design Collective EUROPARC Unveils the Winning Proposal for the Renewed European Parliament Building.*

EUROPARC, a pan-European design collective, has been announced as the winners of the international competition to renew the Paul Henri SPAAK Building in Brussels, Belgium. The building housing the Parliament of the European Union has many shortcomings, yet the winners of the competition recognize that demolishing and replacing it might not be a responsible or sustainable solution. The existing building is, therefore, reimagined and adapted better to fit the needs and the identity of the EU. EUROPARC is made up of five architectural studios from five European countries: JDS Architects (DK/BE), Coldefy (FR), CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati (IT), NL Architects (NL), and Ensamble Studio (SP), with the support of engineering companies from UTIL (BE) and Ramboll (DK).













































Design Collective EUROPARC Unveils the Winning Proposal for the Renewed European Parliament Building


EUROPARC a pan-European design collective, has been announced as the winners of the international competition to renew the Paul Henri SPAAK Building in Brussels




www.archdaily.com


----------



## delores (Dec 20, 2005)

Interesting but it now makes it's surroundings look even worse.


----------



## MarciuSky2 (Apr 10, 2021)

*Construction Works Begin on Shigeru Ban's Hybrid Residential Tower in Belgium.*

Shigeru Ban has just launched the office’s most recent project in Nieuw Zuid in Antwerp, Belgium. Named Ban, after its creator, the complex puts in place a 25-story residential tower and a separate building, creating a total of 295 residential units. During the breaking ground ceremony, the architect also inaugurated an exhibition of images highlighting his humanitarian work in conflict and disaster areas, in near proximity to the construction site.














































Construction Works Begin on Shigeru Ban's Hybrid Residential Tower in Belgium


Shigeru Ban has just launched Ban, his most recent project in Nieuw Zuid in Antwerp alongside a photo exhibition of his humanitarian work in disaster areas.




www.archdaily.com


----------



## el palmesano (May 27, 2006)

MarciuSky2 said:


> *Design Collective EUROPARC Unveils the Winning Proposal for the Renewed European Parliament Building.*
> 
> EUROPARC, a pan-European design collective, has been announced as the winners of the international competition to renew the Paul Henri SPAAK Building in Brussels, Belgium. The building housing the Parliament of the European Union has many shortcomings, yet the winners of the competition recognize that demolishing and replacing it might not be a responsible or sustainable solution. The existing building is, therefore, reimagined and adapted better to fit the needs and the identity of the EU. EUROPARC is made up of five architectural studios from five European countries: JDS Architects (DK/BE), Coldefy (FR), CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati (IT), NL Architects (NL), and Ensamble Studio (SP), with the support of engineering companies from UTIL (BE) and Ramboll (DK).
> 
> ...


----------

