Royale Belge
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| Royale Belge (Axa) | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Functionalism |
| Address | Boulevard du Souverain/Vorstlaan 23 |
| Town or city | Watermael-Boitsfort, Brussels |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°48′06″N 4°25′30″E / 50.8016759°N 4.4250841°ECoordinates: 50°48′06″N 4°25′30″E / 50.8016759°N 4.4250841°E |
| Construction started | 4 April 1967 |
| Completed | 25 June 1970 |
| Renovated | 2021 |
| Owner | Souverain 25 |
| Height | 50.8 mt |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 54,000 square meters |
| Renovating team | |
| Renovating firm | DDS.plus |
The Royale Belge former headquarters is a functionalist building from 1967 to 1970, located in Watermael-Boitsfort (Brussels).
Description[]
The cross-shaped design is by and Pierre Dufau, who were inspired, among other things, by the John Deere World Headquarters of Eero Saarinen (Moline, Illinois). The building is 50.80 meters high and has a floor space of 54,000 square meters. The exterior consists of corten steel and bronze-colored smoke-colored windows. Thanks to the landscape architects Jean Delogne and Claude Rebold, the whole is harmoniously planted between ponds and greenery.
History[]
Construction began on April 4, 1967, followed by formal inauguration on June 25, 1970.[1] The client was the insurer Royale Belge. After it was merged into the French AXA in 1999, the complex was sold to Cofinimmo and leased back until 2018. AXA moved its Belgian headquarters to Place du Trône/Troonplein (former Electrabel Headquarters) in 2017. The United States became the new owner of the buildings in Boulevard du Souverain/Vorstlaan, with the intention of housing the US Embassy. However, the structure proved unsuitable for supporting heavy bulletproof glass.[2] To avoid drastic transformations, the Brussels-Capital Region's government placed the building on its safeguarding list, after which the Americans abandoned the project.[3]
See also[]
- Axa-Royale Belge Tower
External links[]
- Voormalige Royale Belge (Inventaris Bouwkundig Erfgoed)
- dss.plus
- bma.brussels
Notes[]
- ^ Une croix, un mythe, La Libre Belgique, 25 juli 2003
- ^ Axa-gebouw in Watermaal-Bosvoorde wordt beschermd, , 22 mei 2017
- ^ VS-ambassade verhuist dan toch niet naar Watermaal-Bosvoorde, BRUZZ, 3 september 2018
- Buildings and structures in Brussels
- Functionalist architecture
- Watermael-Boitsfort
- Protected heritage sites in Brussels