UNStudio’s first completed project in Belgium celebrates its opening today

Designed for ProWinko and in collaboration with Beligian architects Jaspers-Eyers, Le Toison d’Or - UNStudio’s first completed project in Belgium - celebrates its opening in Brussels today.

Located on the Avenue de la Toison d'Or, the complex is a hybridisation of a traditional building-block typology and a mixed-use development with a retail podium. Le Toison d'Or contains 72 apartments (from 50 to 750 m²), 13,000 m² of commercial space, a 1,040 m² crèche, 330 parking spaces and an elevated city garden of 2,950 m².

Ben van Berkel: “It was important that the retail units be as open and light as possible. We wanted to contrast this with the apparent solidity of the upper floors, to create the illusion that the vertical balloon-like frames were carrying the building; as if the whole block almost has the potential to float above the avenue.” 

Project overview