Belgium, Brussels

BNP Paribas Fortis HQ

Iconic headquarters for BNP Paribas Fortis in the heart of Brussels
The new headquarters is located on the Warandeberg in the heart of Brussels, covers an area of over 100,000 m² and is designed as a passive building that meets the highest standards of innovation and environmental performance.

Optimization of office space with a focus on sustainability

The new headquarters, with five underground and seven above-ground floors, provide working space for around 4,500 employees. That is a good 70% more than before, on an almost identical gross surface area of 103,500 m2. The building includes high quality equipment and the latest technologies, including solar panels on the roof and seasonal thermal energy storage (STES), optimizing environmental performance and enhancing staff comfort. Drawing on its previous experience, BESIX contributed its expertise to achieve BREEAM 'Excellent' and 'Passive House' sustainability certification for the building.

Futuristic-looking façade: a technical tour de force

The keynote of the building is given by the futuristic façade, built from a grid of vertical columns in white prefabricated concrete with specific green granules. This self-supporting concrete 'skeleton' forms the outer façade, in front of an inner glass façade. The addition of green minerals, from a Norwegian quarry, adds character to the façade while referring to the BNP Paribas Fortis brand identity. The prefabrication of this structure was an engineering feat, given the very high aesthetic requirements, thermal properties and maximum tolerances to permit the connections with the building and the glass façade.

A densely built environment makes logistics more exciting

Integration into the existing urban fabric, with respect for adjacent settlements and the intense traffic in the area, was a key criterion for the building’s design, and more specifically its height. The location, bounded by streets on all sides and adjoining the Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar), means that BESIX also had to pay particular attention to environmental management. Lack of local storage space was an additional challenge, making just-in-time delivery a must. BESIX has also taken additional temporary storage space just outside the city centre.

Construction team formula for optimal efficiency

For this project, BESIX and its partner were using the construction team ('bouwteam') formula. This means that client, designer and contractor cooperate closely from the start of the project, with the objective of achieving an economically optimal solution for the client. In this context, BESIX made its BIM expertise available to the construction team for the optimal coordination of the design and construction phases.

MIPIM Awards 2022 & BIM Awards 2018

The new headquarters of BNP Paribas Fortis, built by BESIX and Eiffage in Brussels, has been awarded the first price in the category ‘Best Office and Business Development’ during the MIPIM Awards 2022 in Cannes, France. This worldwide event recognizes the most outstanding and accomplished projects in the real estate industry.

The technological expertise and innovative approach of BESIX have been acknowledged thanks to the BNP Paribas HQ project since it won first prize in the category "tertiary, industrial, commercial and residential projects" at the BIM Awards 2018, a ceremony honouring the best BIM projects in the Benelux.

Project details

Project nameBNP Paribas Fortis HQ
LocationBrussels Belgium
Building period2017 - 2021
CategoryOffices
Stakeholder(s)BESIX
ArchitectBaumschlager eberle, Stijfhals & Partners, Jasper-Eyers
Contract typeBuild
ClientBNP Paribas Fortis

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Mark Beyst

Mark Beyst

Director