Royale Belge
{{short description|Functionalist building in Brussels, Belgium}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{refimprove|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Royale Belge (Axa)
| image = Former Royale Belge - Axa building Watermael-Boitsfort 2017-06 ---5.jpg
| coordinates = {{coord|50.8016759|4.4250841|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| building_type =
| architectural_style = Functionalism
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| address = {{lang|fr|Boulevard du Souverain|italic=no}} / {{lang|nl|Vorstlaan|italic=no}} 23
| location_city = 1170 Watermael-Boitsfort, Brussels-Capital Region
| location_country = Belgium
| start_date = 4 April 1967
| completion_date = 25 June 1970
| renovation_date = 2021
| owner = Souverain 25
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| height = {{convert|50.8|m}}
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| floor_area = {{convert|54000|m2}}
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| ren_firm = DDS.plus
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The Royale Belge former headquarters is a functionalist building from 1967 to 1970, located in Watermael-Boitsfort, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium..
History
File:Watermael-Boitsfort, Royale Belge (1).jpg
Construction began on 4 April 1967, followed by formal inauguration on 25 June 1970.[http://www.lalibre.be/economie/libre-entreprise/une-croix-un-mythe-51b87f17e4b0de6db9a8f38a Une croix, un mythe], La Libre Belgique, 25 juli 2003 The client was the insurer Royale Belge. After it was merged into the French AXA in 1999, the complex was sold to Cofinimmo and leased back until 2018. AXA moved its Belgian headquarters to the {{lang|fr|Place du Trône|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Troonplein|italic=no}} (former Electrabel headquarters) in 2017. The United States became the new owner of the buildings on the {{lang|fr|Boulevard du Souverain|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Vorstlaan|italic=no}}, with the intention of housing the US Embassy. However, the structure proved unsuitable for supporting heavy bulletproof glass.[http://www.bruzz.be/nl/actua/axa-gebouw-watermaal-bosvoorde-wordt-beschermd Axa-gebouw in Watermaal-Bosvoorde wordt beschermd], BRUZZ, 22 mei 2017 To avoid drastic transformations, the Brussels-Capital Region's government placed the building on its safeguarding list, after which the Americans abandoned the project.[https://www.bruzz.be/stedenbouw/vs-ambassade-verhuist-dan-toch-niet-naar-watermaal-bosvoorde-2018-09-03 VS-ambassade verhuist dan toch niet naar Watermaal-Bosvoorde], BRUZZ, 3 september 2018
In 2023, the Royale Belge was renovated by the British architectural firm Caruso St John and the Antwerp-based Bovenbouw architectuur.
Description
The cross-shaped design is by the architects René Stapels and Pierre Dufau, who were inspired, among other things, by Eero Saarinen's John Deere World Headquarters (Moline, Illinois). The building is {{convert|50.8|m}} high and has a floor space of {{convert|54000|m2}}. The exterior consists of corten steel and bronze-colored smoke-colored windows. Thanks to the landscape architects Jean Delogne and Claude Rebold, the whole is harmoniously planted between ponds and greenery.
See also
External links
- [http://www.irismonument.be/nl.Watermaal-Bosvoorde.Vorstlaan.25.html Voormalige Royale Belge] (Inventaris Bouwkundig Erfgoed)
- [https://www.dds.plus/projects/royale-belge dss.plus]
- [https://bma.brussels/en/call-royale-belge/ bma.brussels]