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company
Fosbury & Sons, founded by Stijn Geeraerts, Maarten Van Gool and Serge Hannecart, saw their opportunity and occupied the building to create new coworking spaces. Now the building is often used for public lectures and events, as it accommodates a small auditorium, a restaurant, a bar and
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In 2019, the renovation was complete and
Fosbury & Sons occupied the building. The original wooden cabinets were disassembled, renovated and reinstalled; the concrete staircase with its handrail was renovated as well. Most of the other original pieces such as the built-in units, authentic door
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The construction was initiated in 1967 by the CBR cement company, who produce and sell a large variety of cements for construction in
Brussels, as they needed new infrastructure for their headquarters. The aim for the building was to showcase their abilities and knowledge in working with concrete.
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The building is made up of two parallel wings attached to each other but slightly offset. With a height of 31.46 metres (103.2 ft), it has nine floors above ground and three underground floors. Designed to highlight the qualities of the material produced by
Belgian cement works, its facade is
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partition systems, with extremely refined care given, even to the design of the lever handles, door handles, signage, furniture...". Every material, detail and finishing in the building was chosen by the architects themselves, even the buttons on the elevator.
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The neighbouring buildings are exclusively dedicated to office-based architecture, strictly distinguished from the residential neighbourhoods closer to the city centre. The office scenery is divided by two large crossing roads, bringing in a constant flow of
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The interior fittings and furniture give the building the "character of a total and complete work". Some of the furniture
Brodzki designed himself in collaboration with his friend and neighbour, the interior architect
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company and two
Portuguese brothers, to be able to craft the prefabricated modules used in the facade. They started by producing dozens of different testing models which, once perfected, were used to create a mould in
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269:. This mould was used to produce the 756 modules needed, after which the construction happened very quickly. This method of construction allowed the building to be erected as quickly as one floor per week.
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saw the potential of using concrete as more than just a construction material and wanted to exploit its formal freedom to create organic shapes. It took him years, in cooperation with the
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exhibition - 'Transformations in Modern
Architecture between 1960 and 1980', where it was celebrated for setting a precedent in expressive facades using prefabricated concrete modules.
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handles, radiator caps and wooden window casings were preserved. There were also modern additions, which kept in mind the original materials, as to not disrupt the architectural unity.
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When in 2017 the CBR moved their headquarters, there was concern that the building would be demolished. Twenty-five architects petitioned for the preservation of the building.
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concrete details and a concrete spiral staircase from the ground floor to the basement restaurant. The finish is particularly meticulous on the eighth floor "composed of
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in
Brussels (which protects the building's exterior). Later on, he also assured an optimal preservation of the building during its renovation by Fosbury & Sons.
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In 2017, the CBR was forced to move their headquarters, as the building was no longer up to their standards. The building went vacant for a year after which the
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723:"L'immeuble CBR à Watermael-Boitsfort, témoin majeur de l'architecture, est menacé de démolition: un scandale!"
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and more. His work is still visible around the building, surrounding it in a vibrant green landscape.
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described the CBR Building as an example of qualitative real estate architecture within
Brussels.
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778:"Watermael-Boitsfort: le bâtiment CBR, joyau de l'architecture moderne, est-il menacé ?"
605:"New brutalism: Constantin Brodzki's Brussels HQ is up for renovation by Fosbury & Sons"
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246:. The western facade has twenty-six bays of nine floors. There are no window frames and the
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664:"Le siège social de CBR ouvre ses portes à l'occasion des Journées du Patrimoine"
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392:, responded by initiating the process of adding the CBR Building to the list of
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889:. Campus Sint-Lucas: KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture. 2019. pp. 166–167.
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573:"Watermaal-Bosvoorde - CBR gebouw - Terhulpsesteenweg 185 - LAMBRICHS Marcel"
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The gardens surrounding the building were created by the landscape architect
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690:"A modernist Brussels icon is transformed into luxury coworking space"
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piece of architecture. In
November 2018, it was added to the list of
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The CBR building was the only Belgian project selected for the 1979
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and Marcel Lambrichs and built between 1967 and 1970, its
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The building was also mentioned in a publication by the
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spaces on the ground floor, right next to the reception
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752:"Iconisch Brussels kantoorgebouw krijgt make-over"
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833:"Fosbury & Sons strijkt neer in Brussel"
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16:Functionalist building in Brussels, Belgium
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200:, Belgium. Designed by the architects
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907:Buildings and structures in Brussels
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462:The CBR building is located at 185,
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224:within the Brussels-Capital Region.
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326:Ground floor before the renovation
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208:modular facade showcases white
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482:and ten minutes away from the
238:made up of an assembly of 756
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758:(in Dutch). November 16, 2018
35:Rear view of the CBR Building
514:Botanical Garden of Brussels
428:Renovated concrete staircase
192:office building situated in
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922:Functionalist architecture
839:(in Flemish). May 16, 2018
440:A refurbished meeting room
212:instead of hiding it as a
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458:Location and surroundings
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512:, the upper part of the
484:Avenue Louise/Louizalaan
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518:Mont des Arts/Kunstberg
167:Design and construction
88:Brussels-Capital Region
330:The interior features
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488:Brussels' city centre
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214:construction material
465:Chaussée de la Hulpe
376:even a small club.
196:, a municipality of
143:Construction started
127:50.79528°N 4.40528°E
65:Chaussée de la Hulpe
912:Watermael-Boitsfort
886:WTC Tower Teachings
641:Belgium, Docomomo.
577:www.irismonument.be
546:WTC Tower Teachings
476:Watermael-Boitsfort
471:Terhulpensesteenweg
194:Watermael-Boitsfort
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84:Watermael-Boitsfort
71:Terhulpensesteenweg
50:Architectural style
45:General information
478:, adjacent to the
394:protected heritage
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258:Constantin Brodzki
222:protected heritage
202:Constantin Brodzki
178:, Marcel Lambrichs
176:Constantin Brodzki
318:Original interior
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132:50.79528; 4.40528
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804:"Wie zijn wij?"
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643:"Immeuble CBR"
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54:New Brutalism
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867:. Retrieved
863:www.bruzz.be
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841:. Retrieved
837:De Standaard
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812:. Retrieved
810:(in Flemish)
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786:. Retrieved
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697:. Retrieved
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646:. Retrieved
613:. Retrieved
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580:. Retrieved
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532:
529:Publications
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495:René Pechère
492:
461:
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383:
370:
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353:Jules Wabbes
349:
334:partitions,
329:
256:
236:
233:Architecture
186:CBR Building
185:
183:
172:Architect(s)
79:Town or city
24:CBR Building
18:
788:November 7,
784:(in French)
733:November 7,
729:(in French)
727:La Libre.be
699:November 7,
674:November 7,
670:(in French)
550:Marc Dubois
498: [
228:Description
130: /
105:Coordinates
901:Categories
865:(in Dutch)
808:www.cbr.be
668:www.cbr.be
609:Wallpaper*
556:References
380:Renovation
363:Occupation
115:50°47′43″N
762:April 26,
542:KU Leuven
414:Coworking
373:coworking
159:Renovated
151:Completed
118:4°24′19″E
548:, where
524:traffic.
506:Expo '58
344:rosewood
338:floors,
332:mahogany
310:concrete
244:concrete
210:concrete
198:Brussels
756:De Tijd
508:), the
336:parquet
312:modules
98:Belgium
94:Country
82:B-1170
60:Address
869:May 9,
843:May 9,
814:May 9,
648:May 9,
615:May 9,
582:May 9,
516:, the
305:White
502:]
267:epoxy
248:panes
188:is a
871:2020
845:2020
816:2020
790:2022
782:RTBF
764:2020
735:2022
701:2022
676:2022
650:2020
617:2020
584:2020
535:MoMA
184:The
162:2018
154:1970
146:1967
474:in
262:CBR
74:185
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