If you’ve recently found yourself infatuated with a rendering of a futuristic eco-district, odds are it came from the desk of Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut. The 40-year-old designer has made quite a name for himself over the past ten years, churning out more than 50 boundary-pushing projects , each helping to set today’s standards for sustainable architecture and urban planning. The latest? Last week Callebaut released plans for a renewal of Brussels’ abandoned Tour & Taxis industrial district, transforming it into a neighborhood that's as aesthetically stunning as it is environmentally friendly.
Callebaut's design incorporates parts of the century-old infrastructure as well as new, eco-friendly structures for mixed-use purposes.
Callebaut’s plan, which simultaneously rethinks Tour & Taxis—the name for a nearly 100-acre customs complex rendered useless under decades-old European Union border laws—and the Gare Maritime—a commercial railway station deserted for the same reasons—would accommodate offices, residences, green space, shops, and more.
Verdant exteriors are meant to enhance the eco-friendly nature of the reclaimed site.
The architect reimagined this massive tract of derelict land by using parts of the existing infrastructure while also creating three new buildings to support vertical forests, along with a pool that connects with the city’s canal system. It almost goes without saying that the plan includes a number of more conventional sustainable features, such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and heat-energy roofs. Callebaut’s design, which like many of his others may never see the light of day, is visionary in its quest to define the green future of Europe’s historic city centers.
