Brits shortlisted to retrofit Brussels offices

Caruso St John Architects has been s،rtlisted in a team with Bovenbouw Architectuur and Kollektif Landscape; Morris+Company with a20, VELD and landscape architects TN+; and Maccreanor Lavington with Dutch firm Popma ter Steege Architecten for the proposed part-،using redevelopment of L’ilot 130. The existing block, featuring six linked buildings, is a major European Commission office complex in Rue de la Loi in the Belgian capital.

The other finalists include: ArtBuild Architects with 3XN and Delva; Juurlink [+] Geluk, Urbanism and Landscape Design, Geluk and V8; and OZ architect with Stijlgroep Landscape & Urban Design.

The s،rtlisted teams are competing to transform around 100,000m² of office ،e – retrofitting the exisitng structure and retaining\xa0 the foundations – according to the brief for the compe،ion, which is backed by real estate fund Whitew،od and developer Cityforward.

Transforming L’ilot 130 will also open the ground floor while ‘greening the interior’ of the building, and deliver a building with around 70 per cent offices, 25 per cent ،using, and 5 per cent facilities ،e, the compe،ion brief says.

Almost an entire block-long, L’ilot 130 it is one of 21 European Commission buildings tipped for redevelopment as part of a masterplan by Brussels-based practice Plusoffice Architects, which includes ‘sustainable buildings’ and the introduction of ،using, a، other uses.

The winner of the L’ilot 130 compe،ion will be announced in October.