The Royale Belge building, constructed in 1970 alongside Brussels’ Sonian Forest, is nearly 50 metres high and contained no less than 83,000 square metres of office space. Bovenbouw and Caruso St John left the building largely intact, yet with a slightly different result.

The offices for insurance company Royale Belge were designed in 1965 by Pierre Dufau and René Stapels. Bovenbouw, Caruso St John and DDS+ turned it into a hybrid building, with the aim of changing as little as possible of the original design. © Stijn Bollaert
© Stijn Bollaert