Location: Brussels, Belgium.
Architect: Baumschlager Eberle Architekten.
The new headquarters for BNP Paribas Fortis was intended to reposition the bank in terms of planning, design, and infrastructure. It also helped the firm find its place in a dissimilar neighbourhood and open up to the city. The outcome, which is still located on the original Montagne du Parc site 200 years after the bank was established, is an architectural statement that can be said to be sustainable in terms of energy, resources, and construction, as well as aesthetically, socially, and culturally. In other words, it provides the city and the bank with a masterpiece of architecture that improves the neighbourhood and creates an inspiring workplace with more than 4100 workstations for the entire Brussels employees.
The outside load-bearing supports of the structure influence its overall look. 300 students form an exoskeleton around the structure, reducing the impression of its size. A green fuchsite granule that is iridescent and may be seen in some spots due to a change in column cross section is what creates the polychrome look. The facades appear to be delicate, beautiful load-bearing constructions when viewed from the front. When viewed from a distance, the columns appear more closely spaced, enhancing the building’s lines and highlighting its edges. The swooping forms and fluctuating roof heights are accentuated by horizontal pre-cast fibre-reinforced concrete strips with vertical relief on the courtyard façade. They also contain an additional adjustable shade system in addition to offering fixed solar protection.
Photography: Cyrille Weiner, CW.
Completed: 2021.