GARE MARITIME

Restauration and transformation of the historical freight station at Tour & Taxis, Brussels

Year ︎︎︎ 2016-2020
Status ︎︎︎  Completed
Surface ︎︎︎ 39,000 m²
Budget ︎︎︎ € 100m

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When the first railway engineer Frederik Brunneel built the 'Gare Maritime' between 1902 and 1908, it was the largest freight station in Europe. The logistics site is a particularly valuable witness to the heyday of the Industrial Revolution in Belgium. Since the unification of the customs union in the 1980s, the building lost its function. It would take until 2016 for all the stars to be in the right place to tackle the reconversion.

Today, the Gare Maritime on the Tour & Taxis site in Brussels is being transformed into a new part of the city. The surrounding urban fabric will be extended under the large roof. The successive halls will be decorated with streets and squares. A city where it never rains. In the outer halls, a mix of programmes ranging from offices to retail and facilities will be laid out. The central halls provide space for events, a food court and a market square. The combination creates a cross-pollinating mix that, together with the heritage layer, gives a rich interpretation to the new works. With its richly programmed public space, the Gare Maritime will become an inspiring new destination in Brussels for both the local environment and the international visitor.