Transformation of the Brussels stock exchange into the “Belgian beer World”

Converting the Brussels Stock Exchange into a public gallery and Belgian Beer Experience Centre and transforming the archaeological site Bruxella 1238.

For a total surface area of 11,320 m², converting the Brussels Stock Exchange into a public gallery and Belgian Beer Experience Centre and transforming the archaeological site Bruxella 1238.

Tourist, commercial and cultural centre around beer near the Grand Place in Brussels (in the UNESCO World Heritage list).

Listed historic building (major heritage) with integration of the archaeological site «Bruxella 1238» under the Rue de la Bourse.

Designed to house a public gallery, the Belgian Beer Experience Centre (BEC), premises linked to the archaeological site, a conference centre, a public brewery, and a panoramic rooftop brasserie (sky bar), a restaurant with its own kitchens, a commercial and administrative area, and a services area.

All the technical installations were replaced by new, more efficient ones: a boiler room equipped with high-efficiency condensing gas boilers, gas heat pumps for heating and cooling, double-flow ventilation with heat recovery, underfloor heating, centralised technical management, cold rooms, sanitary and fire protection installations, and a mechanical smoke extraction system. Photovoltaic solar panels and heat pumps using water from public sewers (‘riothermie’) were studied but ultimately not implemented. The building includes a high-voltage cabin belonging to the customer and a network cabin supplying the district, which had to be moved beforehand.

The project will offer an interactive, dynamic, and experience-oriented environment, and will allow a wide audience to discover Belgian beer and the entire brewing culture that surrounds it at their own pace and according to their own interests. The project was designed by our engineers and modeler as part of a multi-disciplinary team including architects, heritage architects, scenographers, museographers, acousticians, signage specialists and lighting designers.

Building competition Acier BELUX 2024
Nomination – cat. E Transformation