The Europea project is committed to creating a new landscape and restoring prestige to this renowned site. Europea is being built on a foundation of sustainable development, with strong architectural and urbanistic traits. It is a unique project with 590 new homes, a modern and friendly business district, leisure and walking areas, and parks and gardens filled with lakes and natural life. Europea is the birth of a truly smart city.
The city of Brussels has set itself the objective of enhancing the everyday life of its inhabitants and reinforcing its international attractiveness by creating an ambitious urban project on the Heysel plateau. This unique site receives over 5 million visitors a year and is ideally located at the heart of Europe’s capital. The location is stategic for Brussels because of its local development and touristic attractiveness.
The current priority is to create a new residential district which will initiate a new economic dynamic by combining all the existing economic components, building ecologically sound and easily accessible accommodation and a new world class tourist, leisure and retail destination.
A unique tourist destination, a new urban model to live together better
Europea is a new part of the city, unique in its programming and exemplary in its conception. A true landscape district, for all generations, which will offer an exceptional quality of life for the inhabitants of Brussels.
Its world class cultural, commercial and leisure program, unparalleled in Brussels, has been designed in perfect synergy with the other amenities of this historic site: the exhibition centre, and the Atomium. Together they create an exceptional tourist centre, with an international reputation, which will receive visitors from across the world.
Europea will allow Brussel’s new ambition to come to life.
Combining Innovation and excellence in the district of tomorrow
“ Europea is an invention: a landscaped district and at the same time a place for living and a tourist destination. ”
– Jean-Paul Viguier
Supervising architect for Europea
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Combining Innovation and excellence in the district of tomorrow
Creation of a unique landscape district in Europe, designed by the architect Jean-Paul Viguier and the agency Art&Build
A new 3.5 hectare landscaped park accessible to the public and the local population
An intergenerational location which welcomes all individuals: residential accommodation, a retirement home, day nurseries, offices, etc
A “smart city” with an environmental design
A world class tourist, shopping and leisure destination with Mall of Europe
New international retail names unknown in Belgium
Spirouland, the Cité des Enfants / Children’s City, the Euroville discovery itinerary, an exclusive range of indoor and outdoor leisure activities and a destination for the whole family
Proximity services for all the local population, digital innovation
A new Art district with the Europ’Art promenade
THE CREATION OF THE LANDSCAPE DISTRICT
The architectural intention for Europea consists of creating a residential park and public spaces on more than 3 hectares, positioned above all the retail and leisure activities, offering a new district with an exceptional appearance. The inhabited hill is designed as a true urban park with residential buildings opening up above it, and which encompasses gardens, rest areas, games for children, and outdoor fountains. The Europ’Art promenade combines landscape and works of art. The Atomium Esplanade is a spectacular space where waterfalls complement large lawns, offering a new perspective on the Atomium and the Heysel plateau.
These new spaces and promenades facilitate mobility and unify the site between the Roi Baudouin and Heysel métro stations.
The mixed character of the residential district
“ Europea meshes perfectly with our policy of developing mixed urban projects in which the city and the district are re-configured, to the benefit of the resident. This multifunctional project will be a benchmark for cities of the future. ”
– Renaud Bentegeat
Managing Director, CFE
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The mixed character of the residential district
The residential programme encourages a social and intergenerational mix.
Each multiple orientation volume defines its own silhouette, stands out clearly, to create perspectives between the public spaces and the interior of the district. Loggias and balconies open onto the city, the sky and the gardens.
590 residences of which 90 are public housing
A variety of typologies: compact buildings with gardens, high buildings with a view over the Atomium and Brussels
2 day nurseries
1 day centre and retirement home
A perfect urban integration
“ Besix, the largest Belgian group in the construction sector, is extremely proud to contribute to the urban development of the Brussels Region and to the creation of Europea. The Heysel plateau is ideally located to receive a new, varied and balanced urban space. This new multifunctional district, included in the vast NEO programme whose second tranche of the tender competition also provides for the creation of a new conference centre. This will contribute to the social and economic development of Brussels. ”
– Johan Beerlandt
Chief Executive Officer BESIX Group
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A perfect urban integration
The entrances to the residential buildings and offices also contribute to the urban dynamic.
A major row of shops opens directly onto the avenue Houba de Strooper, incorporated into a spectacular façade revealing the richness of the ensemble. A canopy protects the public from the weather as they pass. Multiple openings between the residential buildings enable access from the street to the promenades and the residential hill. Special emphasis has been placed on accessibility and movement through the district for people with reduced mobility
Avenue Houba de Strooper shopping frontage
Adding excitment to the city
The Market square is a special place, covered, and open to all. It is a place to meet before going to the cinema, for meeting on the café terrace, discovering the organic market or the cultural programme on offer. As a central space for the project, it provides a connection between the existing public routes and the new public, commercial and leisure spaces at Europea.
THE EUROP’ART ARTISTIC PROMENADE
The Europ’Art artistic promenade is a mineral and vegetal space, linking the heart of the district, the Market square, and the Atomium Esplanade. It is one of the open air attractions of the project with an itinerary of monumental contemporary works of art.
This spectacular space, which is freely accessible at all hours of the day, will also accommodate temporary cultural events and exhibitions, particularly within the art gallery, which punctuates the itinerary.
The artistic programme will be established in partnership with the Wiels Contemporary Art Centre in order to guaranty qualitative works of art and create unique cultural events.
A Smart City
The defining principle of Europea consists of locating business and leisure activities under the residential and landscaped installation (the inhabited hill) enabling the creation of a virtuous system:
A reduction in demand (envelope, thermal bridges, natural lighting, passive solutions…)
The collection and recycling of rain water
Passive housing and offices
The establishment of energy synergies: a heat exchange loop between the residential and commercial functions.
20% of energy requirements fulfilled by a renewable and real-time scalable source according to levels of consumption.
Car parks and delivery spaces shared and located underground
Soft modes of travel given precedence: an electric shuttle circuit, bicycle parks
BREEAM COMMUNITIES EXCELLENT certification
A worldclass centre for leisure and retail
Mall of Europe : services and proximity
Participants in the project
The largest listed commercial property company in Europe specialized in large shopping centers in major Europea cities ans large offices and convention & exhibition centers in the Paris region. The group’s portfolio was valued at €32.1 billion on December 31 2013.
The Belgian leader in construction, the BESIX group operates in all general contracting work: buildings, environment, infrastructures, sports and leisure, maritime and industrial work. The group employs approximately 18,000 people and has a strong international and local presence. BESIX RED, its real estate branch, includes amongst its latest completed projects the Perspective office building in Lille, the Motel One hotel in rue Royale in Brussels, and a very large number of housing developments.
CFE is a Belgian industrial group which is active in six different sectors: dredging and maritime works, construction, road and rail, multimodal installations, property promotion and management, and public-private partnerships. The group, based in Belgium, is very active in adjacent countries, in Central Europe and in Africa. The property activity is conducted by its property subsidiary BPI. With its accumulated experience and knowledge of the markets, it is a benchmark on the Belgian, Luxemburg and Polish markets. The CFE group, listed on Euronext Brussels, is 60.39% owned by Ackermans & Van Haaren.
