Bel Towers to provide affordable housing, workspaces and public amenities

Brussels continues to demonstrate how existing buildings can play a central role in addressing the housing challenge while accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable city A recent milestone within the Bel Towers redevelopment is the launch of Bel Residential, introducing 196 affordable homes within the former Proximus Towers. The project forms part of the wider transformation of the Bel Towers site into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood where housing, workplaces, services and public spaces come together.

A sequence of Sky Gardens and rooftop landscapes extends community life vertically through the towers, offering future residents generous outdoor spaces for relaxation, interaction and wellbeing.

For Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Bel Towers embodies a fundamental shift in urban development. Rather than replacing existing buildings through demolition and reconstruction, the project builds upon the value already embedded within the site. This approach significantly reduces material consumption, preserves embodied carbon and extends the lifespan of robust existing structures.

The transformation of existing office buildings into residential and mixed-use environments is becoming one of the most effective strategies for creating sustainable urban growth. By reusing what already exists, cities can provide new homes while limiting environmental impact and reducing the demand for new construction materials.

The new façade elements at Bel Towers are constructed in CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber), a renewable, bio-based material that significantly reduces the building’s embodied carbon footprint. By combining adaptive reuse with timber construction, Bel Towers demonstrates how existing buildings can be transformed into a more sustainable future for urban living.

Bel Residential delivers housing, complemented by shared amenities and collective outdoor spaces, including a communal garden. Together, these elements create a contemporary living environment that combines affordability, social interaction and environmental responsibility.

The wider Bel Towers masterplan reimagines a historically monofunctional office district as a diverse urban community. Housing, workspaces, retail, services and public amenities are integrated into a coherent neighbourhood that remains active throughout the day.

An important aspect of the project is its commitment to sustainable construction and future adaptability. Across Europe, timber construction and bio-based materials are increasingly shaping the next generation of urban developments. Bel Towers embraces these ambitions through a design approach focused on circularity, low-carbon development and long-term resilience. Combined with the adaptive reuse of existing structures, this contributes to a substantial reduction in the project’s overall environmental footprint.

Bel Towers opens itself to the city through active ground floors, public spaces, cafés, shops and generous green areas. Designed around people and everyday life, the project reconnects the site with the streets of Brussels and creates a vibrant new destination for residents and visitors alike.

As cities search for solutions to housing shortages and climate challenges, Bel Towers demonstrates how transformation can unlock new opportunities for sustainable urban living. The project shows that the future of city-making lies not only in building new districts, but also in reimagining and revitalising the city that already exists.

Want to know more? Contact us +31 10 404 66 77 or pr.nra@neutelings-riedijk.com