Known KBC building makes place for green residential project The Banks

Brussels, 11 January 2023 - At Havenlaan in Brussels, where the famous KBC building currently stands, The Banks will soon arise: a brand new and family-friendly green residential area. Building owner Triple Living is constructing the first two of three residential towers and a residential strip built around a large communal inner garden. Quality, greenery and livability are the foundations of the residential complex, which is aimed at a variety of residents and fits into the green reorientation of the Haven neighbourhood and the nearby Tour & Taxis site. Architects OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen and Nicolas Firket Architects are designing the masterplan and the buildings. Bureau Bas Smets is taking care of the landscape architecture.

The Banks

  • Number of residential units: 216 (including 16 maisonette flats)
  • Site area: 3,348 m2
  • Residential area: 28,913 m2
  • Office area: 3,800 m2
  • Parking spaces: 200
  • 9 electric shared cars
  • Bicycle stands: 1,445 m2

 

Response to acute housing shortage in Brussels

The landlord Triple Living develops neighbourhoods and projects with a vision that fits into the larger local framework. One such project is The Banks. The housing project is a response to the acute shortage of quality affordable housing in and around Brussels. The site offers a variety of housing types, including semi-detached houses and flats that vary greatly in size and number of bedrooms. The lower residential strip contains some detached houses with their own entrances. Depending on the building and typology, the different housing units have their own outdoor space. Conservatories, terrace rooms and balconies allow residents to fully enjoy the planting and the view of the spacious courtyard garden, the canal, the adjacent Beco Park and the city.

The site's masterplan is strongly committed to quality of life, both for residents of The Banks and those living nearby. With the open character of the new residential site, the neighbourhood behind it will also regain its openness. The innovative site ties in with the planned major greening of the wider area. The open and green framework makes The Banks a cosy, lively residential area where it is pleasant to live for young and old. Moreover, a considerable part of the plots will be reserved for collective spaces, such as offices, a crèche, a brasserie, two meeting centres and even a hotel. 

Clear architecture with plenty of outdoor space

The architectural firms OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen and Nicolas Firket Architects have opted for clear architecture with sober lines and a flexible floor plan that is perfectly tailored to the needs of the modern urban dweller. The selection of individual buildings creates an urban ensemble that offers identity and diversity to the residents and their surroundings. The façade design gives each building its own character and creates a solid yet elegant urbanity.

The Banks will be a family-friendly new neighbourhood: green, sustainable and vibrant. With a strong relationship to the canal and the parks that will make the neighbourhood even greener in the near future.

 

Spacious green space, view of canal and park

The Banks is a green residential complex with a landscape design by the renowned firm Bureau Bas Smets, which also designed the landscape park of the nearby Tour & Taxis and the landscape of Nieuw Zuid in Antwerp. The Banks' large central courtyard garden will form a bridge between the publicly accessible areas and the future Becopark along the quays, while providing sufficient privacy. This green heart will have a number of playgrounds and, together with the other communal spaces, will form an ideal meeting place for the residents.

Mobility on a city scale

Did you know that Brussels is a pioneer in car sharing? In 2021, there were more than 60,000 car sharers in the city. The Banks respond by making shared cars available to residents in the underground car park. There is also a particularly large amount of space for bicycles there.

 

The closed façade of the current KBC building will give way to an open design that will allow passers-by to enjoy the public spaces and plantings, and provide residents with the best views of the canal and the planned Becopark. Extending in front of The Banks from 2024 will be Becopark, a wide green boulevard of 3.2 hectares that will connect to the park at Tour & Taxis, providing residents with a large, expansive green oasis. The Banks is intended to be an urban anchor, driving the revitalisation of the Canal Zone and capitalising on its potential green character.

 

https://thebanks-brussels.be/

www.triple-living.be

Addendum 1 About Triple Living.docx

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Addendum 2 About OFFICE KGDVS.docx

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Addendum 3 About Nicolas Firket Architects.docx

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About Triple Living

Projects with vision

Triple Living develops total visions and builds neighbourhoods in which every building, every street and every planting contributes to the total concept. A master plan forms the strategic basis for each component of the subsequent project: from the architecture to the filling in of the commercial spaces, the landscaping and the anchoring of the site in the local neighbourhood.

Triple Living strives for a strong connection with the neighbourhood and enters into solid, long-term partnerships with local residents, local authorities and professional stakeholders. This ensures that all projects are locally supported and integrated. Their redevelopment projects, residential and work sites give neighbourhood and city a strong socio-economic impulse.

Triple Living combines the power of decades of experience with the know-how of the future. The passionate Triple Living team ensures efficient, goal-oriented development of even the most complex project. The engineers keep their finger on the pulse of the latest developments. The sustainable materials, state-of-the-art techniques and high-quality finish exceed the strictest quality requirements.

Triple Living is concerned with ecology and the socio-economic context of its projects. They want to take care of future generations. That is why Triple Living proactively focuses on advanced sustainable materials and techniques. 


Nieuw Zuid, the neighbourhood of the future

Nieuw Zuid is a visionary urban development of twenty hectares, which is an extension of Antwerp South and stretches from the Scheldt to the new Palace of Justice. The spearheads of the innovative site are architecture, sustainability and greenery. And liveability, because in the new neighbourhood everything revolves around good living and working. The site is car-free, will have a large park of six hectares and is lined with greenery, wadis and footpaths. In the field of sustainability, Nieuw Zuid plays a pioneering role, with the largest heat network in Flanders, wadis to catch the rainwater, a circular hub for ecological start-ups, smart meters, sorting streets and smart city applications.

Nieuw Zuid is a reflection of urban life in all its facets, with crèches, hotels, shops, restaurants, art galleries, doctors' surgeries and a school under construction. Student flats and assisted living flats live side by side here. In addition, there is a wide variety of flats, offices and commercial spaces. All the work should be completed by the end of 2025, and Antwerp will have a new district with around two thousand flats.

You can find more information on www.nieuwzuid-antwerpen.be

Contact

+32 473 35 86 04

www.triple-living.be