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Brussels — Belgium / DESIGN TROTTER ///
Green
GREEN
GLASS
NATO HEADQUARTERS
BRUSSELS (BELGIUM)
SKIDMORE,
OWINGS AND MERRILL + ASSAR
ARCHITECTS
23
A GLASS HAND IN A FLEXIBLE GLOVE
NATO’s new glass HQ asserts its green credentials
with the help of Assar Architects, a professional
architects’ association based in Brussels and in
conjunction with architects Skidmore, Owings and
Merrill (SOM), from Chicago. The entwined fingers of
the building symbolise unity and flexibility, making a
bold statement of their ecological and technological
approach.
After 7 years of construction work, NATO’s new head-
quarters in Brussels is making its contribution to
sustainability. Its flexible 254,000m surface, of which
2
72,000m is glazed, simply oozes technical prowess.
2
Security, energy and style were the design criteria for
this building. And no-one can say they haven’t delivered
on those promises: reinforced glass windows with a
specific solar-driven component for optimal insulation.
Maximum luminosity and minimal energy consumption.
The building’s gentle curves facilitate the collection of
rainwater which is then reused to meet 90% of its water
requirements both inside and out. What more can we say?
DELABIE products installed:
Stainless Steel movable drop-down rail (Ref. 5163P1)
Liquid soap dispensers (Ref. 6580 + 729012)
plus a range of accessories