Overview
The modern building that gives a highly recognizable visual identity, as seen in the photo, can be taken for granted as a commercial building at first sight. However, a peep inside can invite an otherwise solemn impression. It is this striking contrast that makes it particularly worth exploring. This week let us delve into the world of stainless steel through the case of the headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament.
Headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament
The headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament (PFB) is a modern and contemporary building located in Rue du Lombard 77 1000 Bruxelles Belgique, Belgium. It features 7 floors from its basement and ground floor to the upper 5 stories. With a building area of 2200 m2 (WBA 2026), it serves to house the Presidency and the Registry of the Parliament of Francophones of Brussels.
Sitting in the historic heart of Brussels where all the Brussels parliamentary institutions are grouped together, the place is easily mixed up with the ancient structure in juxtaposition, the larger Brussels Parliament building at 69 Rue du Lombard. Address can be mistaken, but the appearance is not deceiving. The distinctive facade of this bright white building never fails to tell its own identity.
The Project Background of the Headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament
The headquarters of the PFB was a rehabilitation project from an existing building with heritage value. It was a 6-million-euro project (WBA 2026) that went through 3 phases generally, from competition launched in January 2008, design service commenced in January 2011 to construction completed in December 2013.
The program actually entails the headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament (PFB), and the restoration of the former Postal Relay (Renaissance 1694) as a multi-purpose space. With the rehabilitation, it becomes a prestigious office space with the Brussels Francophone Parliament as its exclusive tenant. It completes the buildings surrounding the Governor’s listed gardens in the shape of a U.
The passive standard of the building is a highlight worth exhaustive elaboration, for it delivers what is required in terms of function, as import as its unique design to be introduced later. When a building is eco-friendly that necessitates least energy consumption, it is passive. In this case, the headquarters of PFB achieves the goal through a series of techniques as below listed,
• Good wall insulation, high-performance triple glazing and automated solar protection.
• Airtightness, free from holes in the facades.
• Advanced dual-flow ventilation system that allows variable flow rates and controlled management.
• Air heating through gas boiler plus insulation of the heating and domestic hot water pipes and fittings.
• Optimal use of natural lighting and solar energy input.
• LED type light operated with automation presence detectors.
• An active cooling system for meeting and reception rooms and an adiabatic cooling system for rest rooms respectively.
• Rainwater collection for sanitary equipment.
The Design of the Headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament
The headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament is designed by SKOPE based in Brussels. It has to be a model of an architectural showcase for an ambitious public building as it is exemplary for its high energy performance.
Inspired by the historic site assuming contemporary issues, SKOPE came up with a distinctive approach of synthesizing history and modernity on a site included in the classification site of UNESCO, rather than simply seeking to mimick the surrounding ancient building or create a dissonant contemporary architecutre.
The headquarters of PFB is less a simple drawing of facades than a global concept. On the one hand, it preserves the volume of the new extension in the template originally designed by the architect Georges Hano (author of the facades and interior redevelopment of the Provincial Palace in 1908), his intial vision being two wings at the Provincial Palace. On the other hand, SKOPE has analyzed the design philosophy of the architect Hano and reinterpreted it by calculating the proportion of the facades. It winds up with a bright whilte building, highlighted by a net made of "voronoids" to guarantee the visibility of the institution desired by the Brussels Office of the Francophone Parliament.
Stainless Steel Applied to the Headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament
The ventilated double facade consisted with hexagonal elements of varying dimensions can be the most distinctive feature that sets the Headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament from its counterparts in the same site. These hexagons are actually welded from stainless steel rectangular hollow sections that are painted in black. They are made from grade 304, sized at 120*40*4mm (ISSF 2025).
Stainless Steel Hollow Sections from CIVMATS China
As in the case of the Headquarters of the Brussels Francophone Parliament, CIVMATS can produce stainless steel hollow sections per your specific demand, be they SS rectangular pipes or SS square tubes. Grades and dimensions are both customizable.
Apart from stainless steel pipe tubes, CIVMATS also produce stainless steel bars of varied shapes, wires and ropes. Flat products like stainless steel plate sheet coil strip are also readily stocked for your option. If you are planning to purchase stainless steel materials from China as mentioned above, CIVMATS are here for your one-stop stainless steel purchasing experience. Choose CIVMATS, choose reliability and safety.
