Rotterdam, 28 September 2010
KCAP Architects&Planners together with the advisors Arup and Fakton win the competition for NEO, the re-urbanisation of a strategic pole in the North of the city of Brussels. The team's design for NEO was awarded with the first prize out of a group of eight international entries.
NEO will become a multifunctional urban node and will transform Heysel Plateau, currently an incoherent area in the North of Brussels. By hosting international business congresses and entertainment events and offering facilities for shopping, leisure and recreation, culture and politics, NEO aims to support and enlarge Brussels' international profile and image.
"NEO is a unique opportunity for Brussels and its inhabitants, an exceptional potential for economic recovery and the creation of new employment," says Freddy Thielemans, Mayor of the City of Brussels.
The site has a unique setting within the city's structure. During its history the site has always combined public interest with leisure facilities. It has the potential to become a forum for Europeans, a place where diversity finds common ground. On a more local level, the development of this site creates great possibilities to reinforce a large green space within the city network.
"The complexity of Brussels' urban fabric reflects a diverse collection of districts, language communities, influences and traditions. The Plateau du Heysel now requires a contemporary vision where Brussels, Belgium and Europe come together in one place", says Kees Christiaanse, founder and partner of KCAP and appointed 'Urbaniste en chef' for NEO.
Lars Rompelberg, responsible partner of Fakton says: "We in Fakton are very proud to be selected to work for a long time together with EXCS and the City of Brussels on this ambitious and complex area redevelopment". Fakton lead consultant, Joek Kruiderink expresses that "for this project Fakton will deliver her expertise on financial engineering, cross-financing, development strategies, risk mitigation and public private partnering. The real estate value chain as well as items like energy, water, infra and area management will be financially structured together with KCAP, Arup, the City of Brussels and her representative EXCS."
The Masterplan reveals a structured urban approach, built on delivery along five important lines: flexibility, integration, interaction, simultaneous working, and robustness. The design and project methodology foresee a global vision and development process for the project. The programme will be realised in different phases. The phasing and the integration of urban incubators in the first stages allow for a coordination of the program and cross-financing of the phases. The elaboration of the design and the realisation of the sub-phases will be carried out over a estimated period of at least 10 years.