Brussels: Call for action

Bellevue-Brewery, by L’Escaut 3

 

It is now almost half a year since Kristiaan Borret, former Flemish bouwmeester, replaced Olivier Bastin in his capacity as Master Architect for the Brussels Region (bMa) on a five-year mandate. This sought-after role entails the orchestration of many interests and institutional levels who are collaborating for, and competing over, the development of the European capital city in the interest of high-quality urban design.

While Borret’s orientation note for the development of Brussels is due in June, his slogan, ‘It’s time to act’, captures the urgency of elaborating a comprehensive vision for the city’s transformation. The main catalysts for development during Bastin’s mandate are likely to remain crucial intervention areas in which qualitative architecture is already underway:

 

• Along the priority-zone of the canal, the Tour and Taxis section hosts the work of landscape architect Bas Smets after a development scheme by Michel Desvigne and a master plan by BUUR;
• Following a study by Lacaton and Vassal, in collaboration with Frédéric Druot, the Brunfaut Tower is under renovation by A229 + Dethier Architecture with an ingenious structure by Ney & Partners;
• Xaveer De Geyter Architects has been awarded the make-up of Schuman square, the European district’s main public space, next to the freshly finalised Council of Europe (Philippe Samyn & Partners)

 

Several other urban projects are bound to follow in the coming months. 2015 will therefore be a highly exciting year for architecture in Brussels, and well beyond; with Mons as the European Capital for Culture 2015, the density of contemporary urban design and qualitative urban transformations in Belgium is increasing daily.

 

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