Iris Tower

Iris Tower
The Iris Tower seen from the Rue Gineste/Ginestestraat
Interactive map of the Iris Tower area
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice
LocationPlace Saint-Lazare / Sint-Lazarusplein 2, 1210 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
Coordinates50°51′26″N 4°21′41″E / 50.85716°N 4.36150°E / 50.85716; 4.36150
Construction started2018
Completed2020
OwnerGhelamco Group
Height
Roof137 m (449 ft)[1]
Technical details
Structural systemReinforced concrete
Floor count32
Floor area45,000 m2 (484,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
ArchitectsAtelier de Genval (Pierre Accarain & Marc Bouillot)
DeveloperAG Real Estate & Ghelamco Group
Structural engineerBureau d`etudes Greisch
Main contractorCIT Blaton

The Iris Tower, also known as the Silver Tower, is an office skyscraper in the Saint-Josse-ten-Noode municipality of Brussels, Belgium. Built between 2018 and 2020, the tower stands at 137 metres (449 ft) tall with 32 floors and is the fourth tallest building in Belgium. It serves as the headquarters of the Brussels Regional Public Service.

History

Background

The tower is located near the North Station and the Botanical Garden. Construction began in late 2018, and the building has been occupied by the Brussels Regional Public Service since November 2020. In 2010, the construction developer AG Real Estate received a building permit for an office tower on the Place Saint-Lazare/Sint-Lazarusplein in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, with a height of 137 metres (449 ft).

In November 2012, AG Real Estate decided to postpone the planned Silver Tower construction due to the vacancy of other office buildings and skyscrapers in the Northern Quarter. As a result, the planned redevelopment of the Place Saint-Lazare was also cancelled, as this redevelopment would be partially financed by the urban planning fees that the municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode would receive for the tower's construction.[2]

In July 2013, AG Real Estate announced that it would continue with the Silver Tower project that year. The Flemish government was tipped off as a potential tenant or buyer.[3] Construction of the tower was scheduled for completion in 2016, but asbestos first had to be removed from a vacant building on the site.[4] After the demolition of this building, the project stalled due to a lack of customers.[5] The Flemish government, a potential tenant or buyer, opted for the Herman Teirlinck building on the Tour & Taxis site.[6]

Construction

In September 2018, the Brussels government announced that the Silver Tower, which still had to be fully built except for the foundations, would house the Brussels Regional Public Service and the Tax Department.[7] The Brussels Region announced that it would occupy the Silver Tower for at least 18 years and pay 146.50 euros per m2 annually. In addition to the Silver Tower, the project developer Ghelamco also acquired 64.5% of the shares in the Communication Centre North (CCN), which houses the North Station, among other things, from the Brussels Region.[8]

Soon after the Brussels government announced its choice for Ghelamco and the Silver Tower, two competitors to the project, Befimmo and Fedimmo, filed an appeal with the Council of State.[9] At the end of October, the Council of State ruled in their favor, as the Brussels Region had not followed the correct procedure.[10] The lease agreement was consequently suspended.[11] In addition, questions arose regarding the allocation of the project to Ghelamco, which was previously involved in the dossier concerning the Eurostadium that was not built .[12] The Brussels Region launched a new procedure, but the construction companies that applied in the first phase withdrew from this procedure. As a result, Ghelamco was again designated to develop the Silver Tower project.[13]

In September 2014, the municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode applied for a planning permit for the redevelopment of the Place Saint-Lazare.[14] The square was to be redeveloped in 2018,[15] but work did not actually start until October 2019.[16]

Since autumn 2020, the tower has housed the 2,000 civil servants of the Brussels-Capital Region.[17] Its name was changed to Iris Tower in November 2020. The yellow iris is the region's emblem (referring to the presence of these flowers on the city's original site) and a stylised version is featured on its official flag.[18][19]

Description

The Silver Tower is an office tower with an above-ground area of 45,000 m2 (484,000 sq ft), seven underground levels, a ground floor with two mezzanines, and thirty-two additional above-ground floors. The building is elliptical, 28 metres (92 ft) wide and 69 metres (226 ft) long. Its height is 137 metres (449 ft).[20] It is a project of the Ghelamco Group.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Iris Tower". CVU Skyscraper Center. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  2. ^ Silver Tower in de koelkast, Bruzz, 27 november 2012. Gearchiveerd op 22 december 2019.
  3. ^ Silver Tower vanonder het stof, Bruzz, 31 juli 2017. Gearchiveerd op 22 december 2019.
  4. ^ Bouw van Silver Tower gaat nu toch door, Het Nieuwsblad, 6 augustus 2013. Gearchiveerd op 22 december 2019.
  5. ^ Brussel zoals het al had moeten zijn (2): Silver Tower schittert nog niet, Bruzz, 9 augustus 2016. Gearchiveerd op 29 januari 2023.
  6. ^ Vlaamse ambtenaren naar Thurn & Taxis, Bruzz, 12 mei 2014. Gearchiveerd op 27 januari 2023.
  7. ^ Silver Tower uitverkorene voor ambtenaren Brussels Gewest, Bruzz, 7 september 2018. Gearchiveerd op 28 januari 2023.
  8. ^ Ghelamco bouwt toren voor Brusselse ambtenaren, De Tijd, 13 september 2018. Gearchiveerd op 2 december 2019.
  9. ^ Twee beroepen tegen keuze voor Silver Tower van Ghelamco, Bruzz, 3 oktober 2018. Gearchiveerd op 22 december 2019.
  10. ^ Silver Tower: Raad van State schorst deal met Ghelamco, Bruzz, 24 oktober 2018. Gearchiveerd op 9 december 2022.
  11. ^ Schorsing: huurcontract voor een gebouw voor de diensten van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Raad van State, 23 oktober 2018.
  12. ^ Ghelamco slaat dubbelslag in de Noordwijk, Bruzz, 18 september 2018. Gearchiveerd op 30 november 2022.
  13. ^ 'Silver Tower' van Ghelamco krijgt vrije baan, Bruzz, 11 april 2019. Gearchiveerd op 22 december 2019.
  14. ^ Sint-Joost: aanvraag voor Lazarusplein met doorgaand verkeer, Bruzz, 4 september 2014. Gearchiveerd op 9 december 2022.
  15. ^ Heraanleg Sint-Lazarusplein in 2018, Bruzz, 30 oktober 2017. Gearchiveerd op 3 december 2021.
  16. ^ Start werken Sint-Lazarus Esplanade, Gemeente Sint-Joost-ten-Node, 7 oktober 2019.
  17. ^ "Ghelamco bouwt toren voor Brusselse ambtenaren". Archived from the original on 2019-12-02. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Brussels gewest doopt Silver Tower om tot Iris Tower". Archived from the original on 2020-11-03. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  19. ^ "LOI – WET". ejustice.just.fgov.be (in French). Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  20. ^ Silver tower in Brussel, www.greisch.com, geraadpleegd op 8 mei 2019. Gearchiveerd op 8 mei 2019.
  21. ^ Brussel - Silver Tower, www.ghelamco.com, geraadpleegd op 8 mei 2019.
  • Media related to Iris Tower (Brussels) at Wikimedia Commons
  • Iris Tower at SkyscraperPage
  • iris Tower at SKYDB
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