A new European Commission building is set to dethrone the Tour du Midi as the tallest building in Brussels, after three architecture firms were chosen to build a new office building which has drawn opposition from local nonprofits, according to reports.
The new building will tower 165 metres above the ground and will be one of two new office buildings set to be erected in 130 Rue de la Loi, in the heart of the European quarter, according to La Libre.
The tower will rise higher than two of Brussels' tallest buildings, shooting just beyond the Tour du Midi's 150 metres and further still than the Tour des Finance's 145 (which stand at 168 and 174 metres, respectively, taking their antennas into account).
The construction of the new buildings is part of a wider project called Projet urbain Loi, which seeks to better link together the street's surrounding neighbourhoods as part of an ambition to make the future of the busy street a "diverse and lively" place, according to perspective.brussels.
But the project has been strongly criticised by some local urban planning associations, with one saying it is a "monofunctional project" and that it is "completely out of touch with the realities of Brussels' history and territory."
"The project goes against the principle of sustainable cities built for people," the non profit Atelier de recherches et d'actions urbaines (ARAU) said. "It is time for the [European] Commission to review its building strategy (...) if it wishes to integrate in its host city."
Construction for the new office buildings is set to kick-off in 2025 and will start initially in the Chaussée d'Etterbeek and will later move to Rue de Spa.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
