CBR & Glaverbel: two icons from the sixties

The former headquarters of the Belgian glass company Glaverbel (1967) is a prime example of modernist office architecture. De Terhulpsesteenweg was not chosen as the location by accident: the green, park-like surroundings and the prestigious character of the neighborhood fit seamlessly with the image of the innovative glass company. The architects consciously chose a place where nature and architecture could enter into a dialogue – the building seems to float among the trees, with large glass sections that draw the landscape inside. The perfect circular shape makes the building as impressive as it is quirky: perhaps not the most practical design, but undoubtedly one that captures the imagination and was ahead of its time. Tegenover Glaverbel is the CBR building (1967–1970), once the headquarters of the largest Belgian concrete company. The facade consists – how could it be otherwise – entirely of raw concrete, with striking orange windows, supplied by Glaverbel. The architects wanted to show the possibilities and aesthetics of concrete with this. Today, the CBR building has a second life as a co-working space, where new forms of collaboration and creativity find a place within this modernist heritage. During these exclusive interior visits, you get a unique chance to look inside two buildings that are usually closed to the public. A guide will take you behind the facades and tell the story of these iconic sites: from their architectural and material value to their evolution over time, and how they are gaining new meaning today in a changing urban context.