In 15 years, Tour & Taxis has grown from an abandoned customs area into a fully fledged new neighbourhood. In the master plan of Bureau Bas Smets, new homes and office buildings are given a place next to emblematic historical heritage such as the Royal Depot and the Gare Maritime. A large park, sports infrastructure and the Brasserie de la Senne make this district a new centre in Brussels.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, a then still young Belgium constructed a free port area in the heart of its capital. It was an enterprise that did little to hide its economic ambitions. Tour & Taxis comprised the largest freight station in Europe, an impressive customs building, a gigantic post office, and an almost 100-metre-long royal depot in a walled and controlled zone next to the canal. Thanks to its central location, it was able to serve a particularly strategic area.