The ACE General Assembly takes place today at the Royale Belge in Brussels, providing a key platform to help shape the future of the architectural profession across Europe.
Chaired by President Daniel Fügenschuh, the Assembly brings together the Executive Board and nearly 80 delegates from across #Europe, united in strengthening a shared voice and advancing ACE’s advocacy efforts.
Today’s discussions focus on major policy priorities affecting architects throughout Europe. Through collaboration and knowledge exchange, participants are reinforcing the essential role of architecture in creating a high-quality, sustainable built environment.
About the Royale Belge
The Royale Belge building is a fine example of 1960s corporate architecture in Brussels, Belgium. After being completely abandoned in 2017, the building was in a state of extensive disrepair. In 2018, the city of Brussels granted a consortium of investors, Souverain 25, permission to renovate the building. In 2019, the building and its surrounding grounds were granted regional heritage protection. The city of Brussels and the new owners launched a design competition with a brief to reorganise the building and incorporate a mix of uses, including conference facilities, offices, co-working spaces, a hotel, a health club, and a restaurant.
The winning design and adaptation project, now successfully completed, was a collaborative effort by the London-based Caruso St John Architects, the Antwerp-based Bovenbouw Architectuur, and the Brussels based DDS+ Architects in Metzger et Associés Architecture. CIT Blaton was the general contractor for the renovation of the building. The project financing is entirely private and the developer is a consortium of four funding partners – Cores Development, Urbicoon, Foresite in Ape.
Designed by the renowned Belgian architect René Stapels in collaboration with the French architect Pierre Dufau, the building was completed in 1970 as the headquarters of the Royale Belge insurance company.
The façades, which were originally composed of large glass sections and Corten steel, were thermally substandard, at the end of their lifespan, and showed many leaks. The large glass façade was still single-glazed, and this gave rise to condensation problems. The roofs and terraces were aged and had significant waterproofing issues. The technical equipment was outdated and entirely based on a fuel oil energy supply.
