The insurer is leaving its headquarters on Place de Brouckère for a passive building, next to Brussels-North railway station

Brussels, 13 September 2016. Allianz is planning to move out of its current premises on Place de Brouckère and to centralise all its operational activities in Brussels at new headquarters on Boulevard du Roi Albert II, in the Brussels Northern Quarter. The company has set its sights on one of the two towers of the “Möbius” project, an IMMOBEL development. Allianz has opted for a modern, ecological building, designed to cater for its specific requirements and easily accessible by public transport. The move is scheduled to take place between the end of 2019 and early 2020.

“We deliberately chose Brussels for our new headquarters, explains Robert Franssen, CEO of Allianz Benelux. Most of our staff live here. What’s more, the new site is easily accessible by public transport and a mere few steps away from the Brussels-North railway station.” The preparations for the move are underway. “Everything is running according to plan and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of this relocation on our clients and brokers”, adds Robert Franssen.

The construction of this brand-new building should start in the second half of 2017. Allianz’s new offices in Belgium will come with a BREEAM “Excellent” rating: a passive, efficient, environmentally friendly building that combines comfort and visibility with highend technical installations. The tower, with a surface area of about 26,600 m2 above ground, will be designed with all the company’s requirements in mind. The building and its fully glazed facades will create a unique workplace atmosphere, with exceptional views and daylight in all the workstations.

A project in line with the new IMMOBEL strategy
“The “Möbius” project, which the Allianz Tower forms part of, is a reflection of the IMMOBEL teams’ renewed vigour and of our desire to expand our project portfolio with ambitious, energy efficient and sustainable properties”, says Marnix Galle, Executive Chairman of IMMOBEL. In this context, the developer called on the services of Assar Architects who came up with an elliptical-shaped architecture to complement the Brussels skyline, favouring fluidity over the volume IMMOBEL originally obtained planning permission for on this site.

“It’s a signature project in the Northern Quarter”, explains Nicolas Billen, Head of Development at IMMOBEL. “It has everything it takes to create a magnificent building and marks a turning point in the development of this district. The fact that Allianz decided on this location, home to other major players in our economy such as Proximus and Engie, bears testimony to the attractiveness of the area and to its tremendous potential.”

The acquisition of the Allianz Tower represents a global investment of more than 85 million euro. The transaction is subject to a number of conditions, one being the timely completion of the new headquarters in 2019-2020.

BPI and IMMOBEL to redevelop De Brouckère
As soon as the Allianz Tower is completed, after the realisation of the conditions precedent, the site of the current Allianz headquarters on Place de Brouckère will change hands and BPI and IMMOBEL will embark on its redevelopment. The project is due to get underway in 2020. Allianz was granted planning permission to redevelop some 55,000 m² at the Brouckère site. However, the programme will be reviewed to cater for a greater urban mix. The project will largely consist of housing (traditional, high-end or student accommodation), offices and a hotel. The ground floor will be allocated to commercial premises which will contribute to the dynamic redevelopment of the Brussels inner city and enhance the pedestrian experience.

A vector of dynamism in the heart of Brussels
“The future redevelopment of the historic Allianz headquarters ties in with our strategy to develop large-scale mixed-use urban projects” concludes Jacques Lefèvre, Chief Executive Officer of BPI. “Because of their synergies and through knowledge-sharing, BPI and IMMOBEL have proven that they are more than capable of bringing flagship projects of this size to a successful conclusion. What’s more, the redevelopment of this block, with a significant housing component, will inject fresh dynamism into this neighbourhood, located in the heart of Brussels.”

For further information:
From BPI
Jacques Lefèvre*, CEO BPI
+32 (0)2 663 60 10
jlefevre@bpisa.be
* SA AVl