V Towers

The project at rue Bara/Place Victor Horta is located on the site of a former print works in the city centre close to the Gare du Midi railway station. This site belongs to 3 property development companies>. Atenor, BPI and Breevast. The project consists of two blocks with a total of 130 000 m² of floor area. These blocks, combined with those of the Midi, will form a complex inspired by the city of London. The project aims to create a building with a strong identity which will give a new look to the Brussels skyline. To do this, one of the two towers will be the highest in Brussels, and at the top of the building, there will be a viewpoint over the city, open to the public. A shopping mal and a conference centre, accessible and visible from the main exit of the Gare du Midi, will occupy the first two floors. The base of the two towers will be free of any construction before laying out a public area that will be usable sheltered from the wind, the aim being to reconcile density and the enjoyment of living in town. This building will have the latest energy recovery technologies so as to have a semi-passive building. The structure will enable floors to be freed and large volumes to be created to house hanging gardens, which will help protect the towers from the wind. The ventilation of the building will be natural, using the pressure of the wind which will enter the hanging gardens, and will be fed upwards to the top of the tower. This height difference creates a pressure differential which ensures the dynamic of the system. The façades will have varying degrees of opaqueness to light, depending on their orientation. This intrinsically environmental urban aesthetic will enable the use of energy to be minimised, due to the sun. The objective is to cut the energy requirement by around 60% of that necessary for a building with a classical design.The proximity of the station is a major asset in terms of mobility and eco-dynamism.