Week of 31 January
1. Shortlisted for awards (EU, UAE, Australia)
- Built by Vanhout, the Z33 House for Contemporary Art in Hasselt, Belgium, is in the running for the prestigious European Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2022. The architecture prize, organised by the EU and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, rewards the best qualitative architectural contribution in Europe. Designed by Francesca Torzo, the building was among the 532 nominated works and is now one of the 40 buildings reaching the next stage. The jury will select five finalists. Whatever the outcome, congrats to the Vanhout teams who built this great project.
- Arch Daily, an influential international architecture media, has selected the Belgian Pavilion at Expo 2020 (BESIX) and the Cosmopolitan (BESIX RED / Vanhout) as candidates for its Building of the Year Award 2022. The choice of the winner is open to the votes of Internet users: just click on this link (Pavilion) or this link (Cosmopolitan) and follow the steps indicated.
- Last but not least, in Australia, BESIX Watpac has four projects selected as finalists for the Master Builders Australia National Excellence in Building and Construction Awards, to be announced in Cairns in April. These are the Deakin University Law School building, the Herston STARS hospital, the James Cook University Ideas Lab and the Brisbane Airport Domestic Terminal.
2. One step closer (Belgium)
A new step was reached towards the signature of the construction contract for the new HQ of the Belgian railway company SNCB-NMBS. The Brussels-Capital Region has given a favourable decision on the project. The next step is to obtain the permit, which would give the green light to the actual construction work. The decision is expected in a few months. This is a large-scale project involving the renovation of old buildings dating from Expo 58 in Brussels, to which is added a stunning extension designed by, among others, the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The whole project is integrated into the Midi International Station and will contribute to the revitalisation of this Brussels district. We keep our fingers crossed for the next administrative step!
3. Preliminary design approved (New Zealand)
In New Zealand, the Christchurch City Council has approved the preliminary designs for the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena, paving the way for the next phase of the design. This means that things are moving in the right direction for the consortium led by BESIX Watpac. The Christchurch City Council is obviously extremely pleased with this, as evidenced by the video it released at the end of January, which included some glowing comments, including from the City Mayor. But it is true that the work done by the design teams is really fantastic. The aim is to see work begin in the coming months.
4. Taking Over Certificate for the Deep Tunnel (UAE)
With the delivery of the Taking Over Certificate, a new milestone has been reached for the Deep Tunnel Storm Water System in Dubai. This huge tunnel, built by Six Construct and its partner PORR, drains rainwater and groundwater from almost 40% of Dubai's overall urban area, significantly reducing the risk of flooding. The project includes a 10-kilometre long tunnel with a diameter of 11 metres, 30 to 45 metres below the ground surface.
(This picture is strictly for internal use. Do not use it externally.)
And then this... Vickers Vimy (Australia)
The Vickers Vimy, developed during the First World War, made aviation history, in particular by breaking several long-distance flight records in the 1920s. One of its successes was the Smith brothers' flight in 1919 from England to Australia. This original Vickers Vimy will now join the new terminal at Adelaide Airport, recently delivered by BESIX Watpac. BESIX Watpac will now build the display area where the aircraft will be placed. Its installation is scheduled for March and will delight travellers and aviation enthusiasts. We are now looking forward to admiring it there. More on this in a future episode.
