Nextensa: Lake Side: One of Belgium's largest urban
transformations enters final phase
PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 25 April 2023, 11.30 AM
LAKE SIDE: One of Belgium's largest
urban transformations enters final
phase
Within a few years, the iconic Tour & Taxis
site in Brussels will have definitively earned itself a place in
the global landscape of urban renewal. With the transformation of
the former marshalling yard into some 800 new homes, offices,
shops, restaurants, and public facilities in addition to an
expansion of the Park, one of the most neglected spots in Brussels
is finally fully flourishing. Real estate developer and investor
Nextensa is counting on a team of Belgian and international top
architects to achieve this feat. With the submission of the permit
application for the Lake Side subproject, one of the largest urban
developments in Belgium in the last 20 years is entering its final
phase.
Whether you’re a Brussels native or not, the
Tour & Taxis site captures everyone's imagination. More than
100 years ago, the former logistics site on the canal in Brussels
was one of the world's first platforms for multimodal freight
transport - including transport by water, road, and rail. At its
peak in the 1960s, more than 3,000 employees worked on the site
every day. After the last logistics activities wound down at the
end of the 20th century, the site became a lost and neglected
locale in Brussels.
But in recent years, the site has been
transformed from a place where goods from all over the world once
arrived to a place where numerous activities and events take place
and people of all nationalities come together. With its famous Gare
Maritime, the Royal and Public Warehouses, the new ponds, homes,
restaurants, offices, and shops, not to mention the largest
recently built park in Brussels, the site has grown into one of the
absolute hotspots in our country.
“When we took over the site more than 20 years
ago, this was a real challenge. The site has since become a driving
force for the entire city of Brussels – for its neighbours,
residents, businesses, and merchants alike. Urban development, of
course, is more than just building iconic projects. You have to
involve the entire surroundings and try to take the whole area to
the next level.” Michel Van Geyte, CEO Nextensa
Now, with the Lake Side project, Tour &
Taxis is entering the final development phase. Nextensa recently
applied for the relevant permits. In concrete terms, Lake Side is a
development of some 140,000 square metres with a largely
residential programme, accounting for around 800 new homes. These
plans are part of the Tour & Taxis Special Regional Planning
Study (Bijzondere Bestemmingsplan or BBP), which was approved in
2017. Rotterdam-based architecture firm MVRDV translated this BBP
into an urban master plan that seamlessly blends into the site's
programming. The surrounding grounds will also be integrated into
the new zone by the internationally acclaimed landscape architect
Bas Smets.
Sustainability
What immediately stands out about the new plans
is the abundance of greenery. In fact, the master plan even creates
new open spaces between buildings. These spaces will contain as
many diverse species of grasses, herbs, flowers, shrubs, and trees
as possible. The current Park Tour & Taxis will also be further
expanded. One of the top priorities of Lake Side is
sustainability.
“We are considering the nature as well as the
people and society. This new district will be completely free of
fossil fuels, and we aim to minimise our ecological footprint
through our choice of building materials, by capturing all
rainwater for reuse,... Socially, it is the perfect mix of
residences and workplaces for a wide target audience, all within a
vehicle-free environment which optimises biodiversity,
entertainment and activities, and community formation.” Trees
Verhoogen, Sustainability Manager Nextensa
Lake Side will ultimately become one of the most
sustainable neighbourhoods in Brussels, at least among those of
this scale. For example, all the office buildings are aiming for
BREEAM Outstanding-level certifications – the highest level of the
internationally recognised quality label that promotes sustainable
construction.
The Mix
The most important portion of the new district
is residential, but the site will also be home to offices,
restaurants, and local shops as well as public facilities, which,
in turn, will be further concretised in consultation with the
relevant authorities. The residential programme will be partly
high-rise.
“We are responding to the great need for housing
in Brussels with the broadest possible social mix. The BBP
envisages numerous new housing units here, and if we want to create
more open space, it makes sense to build upwards for at least some
of these homes. And, indeed, if there is one place in our city
where we can harmoniously interconnect higher residential volumes,
it is here." Peter De Durpel, COO Nextensa
At the same time, a healthy social mix is
created in which high-quality and affordable housing is part of a
larger whole.
“In urban development, it's all about the mix –
a mix of housing for a broad public as well as functions and green
spaces. However, affordable housing should never come at the
expense of quality of life." Michel Van Geyte, CEO Nextensa
Vehicle-free
A large, central parking area for bicycles was
recently built, and the main entrance on Havenlaan is, from now on,
exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians. All vehicles are diverted
to underground parking facilities. This highlights Tour &
Taxis’ commitment to soft mobility. As a result, the site is now
largely vehicle-free, and the intention is to reduce the number of
vehicles even more in the future.
“With the arrival of Lake Side, we are going one
step further in creating our ‘5-minute neighbourhood’. Where home,
work, recreation, and nature are all reachable within 5 minutes.
You don't need a car for a maximum of local amenities. Smart
mobility, proper building zoning and a mix of functions is the
key." Peter De Durpel, COO Nextensa
If everything goes according to plan,
construction could start in early 2025, ensuring the continuity of
the development of Tour & Taxis. Currently, Nextensa is
completing the Park Lane residential development, which also
includes some 800 residential units. This work should be complete
by the end of 2024. To inform all stakeholders, especially those
living in the immediate vicinity of the Tour & Taxis
neighbourhood, about the new plans, Nextensa will organise regular
neighbourhood information events.
Lake Side FACT SHEET
- 140,000 square metres of new buildings
– on a site that totals 33 ha
- Approximately 800 homes
- 37,000 square metres of offices
- 2,800 square metres of
shops/restaurants
- 3,800 square metres of public
facilities
- Approximately 630 parking spaces for
cars, 66 spaces for motorcycles and 1,950 spaces for bicycle
- Architects: Binst Architects, POLO,
HUB, Bureau Bouwtechniek, 3XN, Cobe, Effekt, MVRDV
- Landscape architect: Bureau Bas
Smets
- Stability studies: Ney &
Partners
- Technical studies: CES
- Safety coordination: Bopro
ABOUT NEXTENSA
Nextensa SA is a mixed real estate investor and
developer. The company’s investment portfolio is divided between
the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (41%), Belgium (44%) and Austria
(15%); its total value as of 31/03/2023 was approximately € 1.28
billion.
As a developer, Nextensa is primarily active in
shaping large urban developments. At Tour & Taxis (development
of over 350,000 sqm) in Brussels, Nextensa is building a mixed real
estate portfolio consisting of a revaluation of iconic buildings
and new constructions. In Luxembourg (Cloche d’Or), it is working
in partnership on a major urban extension of more than 400,000 sqm
consisting of offices, retail, and residential buildings.
The company is listed on Euronext Brussels and
has a market capitalization of €396.6 million (value
31/03/2023).
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Peter De Durpel | Chief Operations Officer
Gare Maritime, Picardstreet 11, B505, 1000
Brussels, Belgium
+32 474 47 40 02 |
peter.de.durpel@nextensa.eu
www.nextensa.eu | www.lakeside.brussels
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