The Gare Maritime, former freight station built in 1907, has been fully redeveloped 110 years later. The building’s energy is renewable and is generated on site. Heat and cold are produced geothermally and electricity is generated using solar panels. Fossil fuels are not used anywhere in Gare Maritime for heating or cooling. According to the Brussels Times, the architectural project was finished in 2020 and the building open for business since October 2021.
The Gare Maritime is a pioneering hub combining unexpected retail, work and hang out experiences, located along the canal in the progressive city district of Tour & Taxis. It is a destination where all businesses are impact-conscious. A place where innovation and artistry open up debate and action, to impact society for the better and to accelerate the pace by leading the way.
As the bustling heart of the Tour & Taxis neighborhood, the Gare Maritime mixes and matches co-creation-based businesses, a food hall, bars, food markets, terraces and unconventional shops. This extraordinary concept is definitely catalyzing the neighborhood. New hotspots and events are fostering a pioneering energy
The building skin has been optimized so that as little energy as possible is lost and in order to benefit the most from natural daylight. Triple-pane, insulating, dynamic solar glass contributes to circularity and reduces energy requirements. The building is equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technical installations for ventilation, heating, cooling, sun protection and lighting.
The historic station concourse that was part of the Gare Maritime has been transformed into an indoor city with its own food hall, exclusive shops and offices. Countless unique and inspiring areas and warm, wooden structures alternate in this building complex. It is perfectly suited to accommodate both small and major events. The monumental nave is a true architectural eye-catcher, bathed in indirect sunlight and providing ample space for well-attended indoor activities.
The Food Market’s opening is planned for November 26th, according to the organizers’ Instagram account. The gourmet hall will bring together a total of ten street food addresses and no less than eight starred chefs. Among them, there will be the two former candidates of Top Chef Mallory Gabsi and Adrien Cachot, who have already collaborated in their restaurant project “140 degrees” in Brussels. They will run a French fry shop called “140”. Another prestigious name is Xavier Pellicer, chef in Barcelona, who will focus his cooking on vegetables with “XGreen”. A fourth personality is already known, Giovanni Bruno, who will reinvent at “Cereal Killer” the dishes of the Italian haute cuisine as he does in his Brussels restaurant Senzanome.
The market will be operated under the management of AB InBev and claims to be “the first of its kind in Belgium”. “The central bar and restaurants will, for the most part, be sourced locally. We are also starting collaborations with food start-ups and farms in the region,” Pieter Anciaux, Horeca director at AB InBev Belgium, told Belga.
