BNI Special: Royale Belge

Architecture and nature in harmony

The Royale Belge in Brussels, formerly the headquarters of Belgium's largest insurance company, symbolizes the post-war idea that architecture can fulfill a functional role while simultaneously offering employees a healthier relationship with nature. This documentary follows the development of this building, from its ambitious start in the 1960s, through decades of change, vacancy, and the threat of radical transformation, to its recent repurposing as a multifunctional space.

Preservation of modernist heritage

Using archival material and new interviews, the film shows how careful restoration and adaptive reuse have preserved the building's architectural character while opening it up to new forms of public life. This is more than a story about a building; it reflects on the changing appreciation of our modernist heritage and explores how iconic buildings can be successfully transformed without losing their essence.