Möbius I & II

Technical challenge with elliptical shape pursuing environmental awareness and neighborhood upgrading

This project places two elegant towers with an elliptical shape side by side in the north of Brussels, in the heart of the business district, within walking distance of the station. The passive buildings offer breathtaking panoramic views and are bathed in a sea of sunlight. Set around a central core, the offices were designed with a sleek timeless design and feature a terrace on the 21st floor.

The Möbius I & Möbius II project, located on Koning Albert II avenue in Brussels, consists of the construction of 2 new office towers in which, among others, Allianz has established its European headquarters.

The project contributes to the strong renewal and also upgrading of the neighborhood around Brussels North station. The building was commissioned by Immobel, one of Belgium's largest real estate developers, which found the perfect buyer for the project in Allianz.
A second office tower, almost identical to this first one, will almost certainly be built next to it.

To set the project apart from the rest, Assar Architects moved away from a classic rectangular shape for an office tower, and provided an elliptical shape for both towers. The facade of the towers consists of the combination of a classic glass facade with a curtain wall incorporated.

What immediately draws attention is the technical challenge of this project, because of the erection of the core of the towers with a climbing formwork. This climbing formwork allows us to finish one level every seven working days, albeit only the structural shell. As one can infer from the use of this type of formwork and the elliptical shape of the towers, we faced quite a challenge with the Möbius project.

Furthermore, the Möbius project is easily accessible, but the limited space for the storage of goods and the high sidewalk taxes imposed by the City of Brussels still posed a logistical challenge.

A final word goes to the quality of the site, where a BREEAM "Excellent" certification was sought, so that the project contributes to greater environmental awareness in the construction sector as well as the upgrading of the neighborhood surrounding the site.