The ZIN in No(o)rd project, located in Brussels, shone brightly at the international conference of the Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU) – formerly CTBUH – held in Toronto in early October.
The jury honored this large-scale project, alongside exceptional developments such as Merdeka 118 Tower in Kuala Lumpur and Ciel Tower in Dubai, for its exemplary approach to sustainable and vertical urban renewal.
ZIN in No(o)rd received not only Awards of Excellence in the categories:
- Best Tall Building (100-199 meters)
- Best Tall Building Europe
- but also the highest honor of this edition: the Grand Prix “Best Tall Building Worldwide” 2025.
International recognition for a sustainable urban vision
The CVU Award of Excellence celebrates each year the projects that embody new ways of shaping the vertical city – innovation, integration, environmental performance, and quality of life.
By transforming a 1970s office complex into a true mixed-use ecosystem, ZIN in No(o)rd fully embodies these values.
The project combines workspaces, housing, a hotel, and public facilities within a reinvented, sustainable, and open structure.
Designed with a circular reuse approach, more than 85% of the original structure (core, basement, and foundations) was preserved, and 65% of the original materials were reused on-site or elsewhere.
The building sets a new benchmark in carbon footprint reduction and regenerative density.
An exceptional collaboration
Designed by 51N4E, Jasper-Ayers Architects, and AUC, and realized with the participation of bureau greisch for the structural design and stability engineering, ZIN in No(o)rd demonstrates that ambitious and responsible architecture can redefine the way we live and work in dense urban environments.
Beyond its circularity, the project exemplifies how technical constraints can be turned into opportunities, supported by bureau greisch’s engineering expertise, which acted as a catalyst for the architectural concepts.
This award is a recognition of bureau greisch’s technical excellence in the design of tall buildings and its engineering approach dedicated to preserving and enhancing the existing built environment.