Tour & Taxis, the long-abandoned former industrial site next to the Brussels Canal, has in recent years undergone intense gentrification to become a new hub for events and businesses. The last phase of the site's redevelopment includes plans for 800 new homes.
The property developer and investor Nextensa on Tuesday, in charge of one of Belgium's biggest urban transformations on the Tour & Taxis site, presented plans for the final phase of the revamp: the 140,000 square metres 'Lake Side' project, which will provide for 800 new homes, as well as shops, offices and catering outlets, to create a "five-minute neighbourhood."
"When we took over the site more than 20 years ago, we faced some real challenges. Since then, it has become a lever for the entire city of Brussels," said Michel Van Geyte, CEO of Nextensa.
Credit: Nextensa
"Urban development is therefore more than building iconic projects. You have to involve the whole environment and try to lift it to a higher level," he added.
The company has applied for a permit for the final development phase and explained that these plans fit into the special Tour & Taxis (BBP) zoning plan, which was approved in 2017.
Liveable space
To give the former logistical terrain a complete metamorphosis, Nextensa is teaming up with Belgian and international teams of architects, including Rotterdam-based architecture firm MVRDV and Brussels-based sustainable landscape architect Bas Smets, who specialises in creating microclimates in his designs.
This is in line with Nextensa's aim to make the area more eco-friendly; it recently also announced the site would become largely car-free. The abundance of greenery also stands out in the new plans: as many different types of grasses, herbs, flowers, shrubs and trees as possible will be planted in the open space between the new buildings.
The site around the homes will be designed by sustainable landscape architect Bas Smets. Credit: Nextensa
"This new neighbourhood will be completely free of fossil fuels, we aim for a minimal ecological footprint through the choice of building materials and capture all rainwater for reuse," says Trees Verhoogen, the sustainability manager at Nextensa.
On a social level, the housing offer in the district will reportedly include a "healthy mix" of commercial and social housing. "We are responding to the great need for housing in Brussels with the broadest possible social mix."
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If everything goes according to plan, the works for 'Lake Side' could start in early 2025. In the meantime, Nextensa is focussing on completing the site's Park Lane residential area, which also includes some 800 residential units.
