Technical Tours
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Wednesday 4 June 2008
KX1 - King's Cross Regeneration (10.45 - 12.15)
Before embarking on the Eurostar journey to Brussels from St Pancras International, Argent will host a visit to the 67 acre development site at King's Cross, London.
Meeting in the German Gymnasium (www.thegymnasiumlondon.co.uk) opposite St Pancras International, delegates will be shown how Argent intends to develop the proposed 8 million sq ft of mixed use properties, which has already started on site.
The visit includes a presentation from some of Argent's board directors around an interactive model, followed by a tour to share Argent's vision for 4.9M sq ft of office space, 2,000 new homes, 20 new streets, 10 new major public spaces and the restoration of 20 historic buildings and structures.
KX2 - King's Cross Regeneration (12.15 - 13.45)
see KX1 for details
Thursday 5 June 2008
Session 2
T1 - Tour & Taxis (This tour is fully booked)
The TourTaxis building was a huge complex for customs clearance and the warehousing of merchandise, which was originally built adjacent to the Brussels canal, with construction starting in 1900 and finishing in 1907.
At its peak in the 1960's, there were more than 3,000 workers on the site but by 1987 the buildings had fallen into disrepair. The building has been substantially renovated into the most stunning warehouse complex of almost 500,000 sq ft and now houses a mix of shops, offices, restaurants, a fitness center and is a famous events venue in Brussels.
The tour of the building, to be undertaken by the developer Robelco, will encompass the history of the site, the renovation of the building and an explanation of the future development and regeneration, which will be undertaken on the land surrounding the main warehouse building.
T2 - Berlaymont (This tour is fully booked)
The original Berlaymont was built between 1963 and 1969, and became the symbol of the European presence in Brussels. With approximately 1.3 million sq ft, the building housed 3,000 European Commission civil servants until 1991, when it was decided that a complete renovation was necessary. The refurbishment of the building lasted over a decade and was beset with problems including time and cost over-runs.
In 2004, the Commission returned to the building and it now houses all the Commission members, with their private offices as well as the Office of the President of the Commission and the Secretariat General. The tour of the building will cover areas of specific interest, as well as an explanation of the refurbishment project.
T3 - Mondrian Building (This tour is fully booked)
The Mondrian Building is one of the newest and most celebrated additions to the Brussels office market. Developed by Allfin, the Brussels based development company that specialises in high end office properties, this 200,000 sq ft building was completed in 2004 and won the prestigious MIPIM Award in the "Business Centres" category in 2005. Designed by architects Assar who will conduct the tour, the building was fully let to the European Commission and is now owned by German fund Union Investment.
T4 - Bastion Tower (This tour is fully booked)
The Bastion Tower was one of the original Brussels towers with construction being completed in 1970. The building consists of approximately 340,000 sq ft of office space, as well as over 500 car parking spaces, and was the subject of a comprehensive refurbishment in 1998/9. The building is multi-let and has always commanded some of the top rents in Brussels. The hosts to our tour will be Zumtobel Lighting, the international lighting suppliers, who have provided solutions to a number of tenants in the building, including Wilmer Hale, the US law firm.
Thursday 5 June 2008
Session 3
T5 - Zenith Tower (This tour is fully booked)
The Zenith Tower is the crowning point to the King Albert II Boulevard in the heart of the Brussels north area business district. The Zenith Tower provides 30,000 m2 approx. of commercial office space with 23 storeys of superstructure and 3 storeys of basement. The structural design incorporates precast, prestressed concrete to allow for large column-free office spaces, high quality concrete and rapid construction. An 8 metre cantilever structure on the front façade creates an impressive architectural feature and demonstrates the versatility of this building form. The modular façade concept gives a feeling of vitality to the building and the internal gardens create a comfortable internal environment.
The tour includes a site visit and a short presentation by the architect from Cerau +SCAU and structural engineer from Waterman TCA.
T6 - European Parliament (Technical Tour) (This tour is fully booked)
The European Parliament is at the heart of Brussels' European district, the Quartier Leopold. The project was originally started in 1987, being constructed on the site of an old brewery and the marshalling yard for the Luxembourg railway station. Since then, and with the expansion of the European community, the complex has been extended with the latest phases (D4D5) due to be finished during 2008, which will accommodate MEPs and the latest press facilities.
The tour of the building will concentrate on the technical aspects of the project.
T7 - Central Plaza (This tour is fully booked)
Central Plaza is a new 15 storey building that was completed two years ago on the site of the old Lotto Tower, overlooking Brussels Central station. Developer Egimo has constructed this oval building which now provides approximately 250,000 sq ft of first class office space.
One of the principles behind the development was to do so on an environmental basis, using natural ventilation as well as a number of internal atria. The tour will include a visit to the offices of Stibbe/Herbert Smith, who have made the building their home.
T8 - Downtown Brussels walking tour (This tour is fully booked)
This walking tour tells the story of the artillery bombardment of the historic city centre by Louis XIV of France's army in 1695. Almost completely destroyed in three days, the city was entirely rebuilt, to an exemplary plan, in only five years.
The tour takes you through parts of the city that are off the beaten tourist track, such as the Place de la Vieille Halle-aux-Blés, the rue des Grands Carmes and the rue Marché-au-Charbon, etc.
You will look at how some of the reconstruction problems were overcome, as evidenced by the new designs of streets, detached and semi-detached houses, groups of houses and religious buildings.
Finally, the tour examines the current state of this architectural gem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the improvements that need to be made to it.
Friday 6 June 2008
Session 5
T9 - Van Volxem (This tour is fully booked)
The Belgian construction company CIT Blaton is currently building a new headquarters for itself close to the Gare du Midi with the aim to produce one of the greenest buildings in Belgium. The building has been designed by architects Art & Build and will consist of 200,000 sq ft arranged around five buildings with attendant landscaping. Using a heating and cooling system fed by a subterranean aquifer, the aim is that the buildings will consume 50% less energy than other contemporary buildings in Brussels. Due to the fact that the site is under construction, this tour will be limited to 20 people but will include a presentation from the architects and engineers.
T10 - Tour & Taxis (This tour is fully booked)
The TourTaxis building was a huge complex for customs clearance and the warehousing of merchandise, which was originally built adjacent to the Brussels canal, with construction starting in 1900 and finishing in 1907.
T11 - European Parliament (Visitor Tour) (Cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control)
The European Parliament is at the heart of Brussels' European district, the Quartier Leopold. The project was originally started in 1987, being constructed on an old brewery and the marshalling yard for the Luxembourg railway station. Since then, and with the expansion of the European community, the complex has been extended, with the latest phases (D4D5) due to be finished during 2008, which will accommodate MEPs and the latest press facilities.
The tour will be led by a Parliamentary official who will give a presentation on the role and work of the European Parliament, followed by a visit to the Paul-Henri Spaak building, which houses the 'hemicycle' where the European MEPs sit in session.
T12 - Gare du Nord area (This session is now fully booked)
The area around Brussels' North railway station has been under regeneration for the last 30 years. The original development took place in the 1960's and was undertaken by Belgian developer, CDP. Over that time, the area has seen the development of almost 12 million sq ft of offices and is now home to organisations such as Euroclear, Fortis, KBC, Belgacom, the Federal and Flemish Governments, Dexia and the European Community.
The last sites in the north district are currently being developed which will bring to an end an era of sustained regeneration within the European capital. The tour will encompass a visit to the Ellipse building, developed by Fortis Real Estate and Immomils Development SA, a 700,000 sq ft project that now houses part of the Flemish Government.
T13 - Pegasus Park (This tour is fully booked)
Pegasus Park is one of Belgium's most successful business parks and has been developed by SEGRO. Consisting of approximately 2.5 million sq ft of built space, the park has been chosen by many international corporates as their home, including Cisco Systems, Deloitte, DHL, SunGard, Johnson Controls, KBC and Bombardier. The park combines modern architecture within a landscaped environment. The tour will encompass an overview from SEGRO of the development of the park, as well as a visit to one of the buildings on the site.
T14 - Uptown Brussels walking tour (This tour is fully booked)
First seen around the upper-class Avenue Louise, the Art Nouveau style spread between 1893 and 1911 to cover all of the newly-developed suburbs, then on the edge of the city.
This tour explores the southern suburb of Ixelles, referred to as the "cradle of Art Nouveau" where this distinctly decorative architectural style was first used. The tour starts with Horta's "Art Nouveau manifesto" façade of the Tassel house and also covers the "geometric Art Nouveau" experiments of Paul Hankar, as well as the historical and social context of the style's development.
Self-guided walking tours
Following on from their introduction in New York, we have organised a series of bespoke walking tours for you to enjoy. Apart from the historical context (two tours will explore the Central Area), the unique characteristic of Brussels is its wonder and extensive collection of Art Nouveau buildings - indeed this is where it all started!
We will devote four tours (three of which are close to the Conrad Hotel) to exploring this city's rich history. If you want to experience something different and unique to Brussels, why not take the Cartoon Murals walking tour around the Central Area.
Full details of the self-guided walking tours will be able in your delegate pack on arrival.
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