Restored grandeur – BNP Paribas Fortis Brussels

“Variety is the spice of life”. Especially, when it comes to eld‘s activities.  The restoration and renovation of old buildings are what makes our professional activities so interesting. eld is committed to the preservation and re-use of the cultural heritage and we have a wide range of specialist knowledge in this field.
In the past, we have successfully completed major conservation projects, which all required detailed planning and implementation.

 

The financial institute BNP Paribas Fortis bought an old office building, previously consisting of three historic buildings in Brussels, including two 18th-century and one 19th century patrician houses. When the client asked us to refurbish these offices, we decided on a different approach, by fully restoring them to their original grandeur where possible. The buildings, in fact, were partly listed as a monument and had a lot of authentic period features. It was our vision to respect its authenticity and adapt it to the client’s needs. During the renovation process, our specialists worked closely with the building heritage department of the city.

Challenges & solutions

The renovation of historic buildings is a complicated and expensive matter. When a property is listed, it becomes even more layered and complex. The result of a successful restoration can be bedazzling, though. It is always balancing between what was, what is (left), and what needs to be made within a restricted budget and context.
The building now radiates timeless grandeur, which corresponds with the private bankers and their clients using this building.

Role eld
  • architectural design
  • structural engineering
  • cost engineering & qs
  • project & construction management
Client
  • BNP Paribas Fortis
Building type
Scale
  • 1.600m²
Status
  • completed