Gare Maritime
Project by Neutelings-Riedijk Architects for Extensa
Gare Maritime on the Tour & Taxis site in Brussels has been
transformed into a covered city with a mixed program of
working and shopping and plenty of public space to relax.
Neutelings Riedijk Architects designed the new Gare
Maritime as a city district; ‘a city where it never rains’.
Under the roofs of the old station, 12 wooden pavillions
have been added to accommodate the new program. They
create a new structure of boulevards and street, parks and
squares, that follows the building structure in a natural
way. The central space in the heart of the building has been
kept open for public events. On both sides of the event
space the green walking boulevards are wide enough to
plant 10 large gardens.
Entirely constructed in wood, Gare Maritime is the largest
CLT-project in Europe. The choice for wood greatly reduced
the use of cement and also had a favorable effect on the
process: thanks to prefabrication and the dry constructing
method, the construction time was considerably shorter.
Gare Maritime is an excellent example of a sustainable and
circular design. It is energy neutral and fossil free. At all
levels far-reaching sustainability measures have been
implemented, such as solar panels on the glass facades and
roofs, geothermal energy and reuse of rainwater.
transformed into a covered city with a mixed program of
working and shopping and plenty of public space to relax.
Neutelings Riedijk Architects designed the new Gare
Maritime as a city district; ‘a city where it never rains’.
Under the roofs of the old station, 12 wooden pavillions
have been added to accommodate the new program. They
create a new structure of boulevards and street, parks and
squares, that follows the building structure in a natural
way. The central space in the heart of the building has been
kept open for public events. On both sides of the event
space the green walking boulevards are wide enough to
plant 10 large gardens.
Entirely constructed in wood, Gare Maritime is the largest
CLT-project in Europe. The choice for wood greatly reduced
the use of cement and also had a favorable effect on the
process: thanks to prefabrication and the dry constructing
method, the construction time was considerably shorter.
Gare Maritime is an excellent example of a sustainable and
circular design. It is energy neutral and fossil free. At all
levels far-reaching sustainability measures have been
implemented, such as solar panels on the glass facades and
roofs, geothermal energy and reuse of rainwater.
Text by Neutelings-Riedijk Architects