Belgium, Brussels

Manhattan

A forward-thinking skyscraper in the capital of Europe
At the age of 45, this high-rise office building in the Northern district of Brussels deserved a makeover. In consortium with Louis De Waele, BESIX has renovated this iconic office building. The renovation included renewing the interior of the building, stripping the façade and adding two floors. Advanced technologies turned this high rise into a forward-thinking example of urban regeneration.

Urban regeneration

When a building in a dense urban environment needs to be redone, there are two options: demolish it and start over, or work with what’s there and renovate. Our client Victory Real Estate, a renowned UK-based developer, chose the second option to stay true to their values of retain, reuse and be sustainable. Urban regeneration requires far less energy and materials, and for Manhattan this was no different: the 28,000 ton concrete frame of the building was reused, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the renovation. BESIX faced several challenges such as the presence of asbestos, little storage room because of the location at the Brussels’ ringroad, and ongoing working life around the building which should be minimally disturbed.

Sustainability and 1st class amenities

While it’s thrilling to transform a building from the 70s into an energy-efficient one, it brings its own set of challenges. The renovated skyscraper uses 30% less energy than the old one, partly because of the design of the fully glazed, passive southern façade. The ambition was to reach the level ‘excellent’ in the BREEAM certification. Manhattan is much more than an office building. It is an extensive amenities ecosystem, with a four story winter garden space, three separate terraces, three gyms with shower and locker facilities, a meeting center complete with auditorium, restaurants and shops and metro access within the building. The upper floors additionally offer spectacular views over Brussels.

Project details

Project nameManhattan
LocationBrussels Belgium
Building period2017 - 2020
CategoryOffices
Stakeholder(s)BESIX
ArchitectJaspers-Eyers
Contract typeBuild
ClientVictory Real Estate

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