On Sunday 7 May, the annual Belgian initiative ‘Open Sites Day’ attracted 60.000 visitors on all of the sites combined and 190.000 virtual visitors. Those numbers are higher than last year, despite the rainy conditions all over the country. Last year, 54.000 visitors came to the sites while 141.000 people chose to carry out a virtual visit. That makes this sixteenth edition of the Open Sites Day, an initiative by construction federation Embuild, a big success.
This success was made possible by the fantastic mobilization of many of our colleagues, site and project managers and everyone in their teams who gave their time to the visitors of their site.
Around 100 remarkable sites were opened to the public during this sixteenth edition of the Open Sites Day. Of course, BESIX Group also opened some of its sites:
- In Zeebrugge the joint venture COTU, including BESIX, opened the dry dock in which the elements of the future Scheldt Tunnel, essential part of the Oosterweel junction, are being constructed. This impressive site welcomed no less than 5.000 visitors on Sunday!
- In Elsene (Ixelles), Jacques Delens opened the doors of the district Vandeuren, a block of 130 social housing units that are undergoing a major renovation focused on heritage preservation and circularity. Nearly 250 visitors from 6 months to 80 years old (and a fox) came to discover the works. As the project is being carried out in phases, the visitors were able to see different stages of the renovation, from a building under construction to an already finished show flat.
- In Antwerp, Vanhout welcomed visitors on the new high-tech campus of the college AP Hogeschool, which is being built on the site of the former Antwerp slaughterhouses. The event coincided with reaching the highest point (32m), which was appropriately celebrated a few days before with the installation of a shrub, the famous 'meiboom' at the top of the structure.
- Wust opened the doors of the macaroon production hall in Dison, near Verviers, which our colleagues are building for PM SWEET. This production hall will house a 62-metre long oven with a capacity of 10 macaroons per second.
- Finally, in Spa, Wust welcomed visitors to the construction site of the municipal swimming pool, which is being completely renovated.
