Besix RED unveils ICONE in Belval
WORKPLACE
Following two and a half years of construction Besix RED unveiled last week ICÔNE, their latest office development. An emblematic and sustainable office complex designed by internationally renowned architects Foster + Partners and the Luxembourg-based architects BFF. The 18,800 m2 office building has been created with a pared-down design that embodies the industrial aesthetic to create a bright, transparent, and relevant space. It was designed from the inside to the outside. Wrapped in a glass façade and covered by a large glass roof, the building is bathed in natural light. The bright and open atrium connects the offices’ two wings.
Darron Haylock, Partner, at Foster + Partners, explained: “We began designing in 2016, well before the pandemic began. Covid has highlighted the need for healthier and more flexible urban workspaces, which is exactly what ICÔNE provides. The light-filled central atrium is the beating heart of the complex, promoting
collaboration and enhancing employee wellbeing.” The scheme features classic offices, co-working spaces as well as flexible areas allowing for the changing presence of teleworkers and digital nomads. The complex integrated also 1,500 m² restaurants and shops.
ICÔNE complements the strategically located Belval-district in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This large-scale redevelopment zone is the result of the reconversion of industrial wasteland. The architects have worked on the preservation of the place’s soul and fulfilled history.
Success with investors and occupants
The unique living and working experience provided by ICONE seduced the Société Générale Luxembourg. In April 2021, the company choosed the building for their news headquarters and signed a 15-year lease. Arnaud Jacquemin, CEO SG Luxembourg underlined: « Our move to ICÔNE enables us to concretely pursue our policy as a responsible company by rationalizing our real estate footprint and pursuing an economic, social and solidarity-based policy. The current digital and social transition is fostering a revolution of working relationships which concretely translates in the offices setup. SG Luxembourg chose ICÔNE for the stimulating work environment it offers with the very high-end layout it provides for our teams, providing well-being and efficiency, while leaving plenty of room for collective work.”
In March 2022, AG Real estate decided to acquire the building. ICONE being already fully taken up,before delivery, made it an attractive asset on the Luxembourg real estate market which, according to Amaury de Crombrugghe, CIO AG Real Estate, has a propensity to face up to the many socio-economic challenges of the present day.
Gabriel Uzgen, CEO BESIX RED, comments : “The fact that ICÔNE meets the expectations of a well-established investor like AG Real Estate and is in line with the demands of a tenant like Société Générale Luxembourg, who chose our project to regroup all of its employees from multiple offices at one location, demonstrates that ICÔNE is a reference in terms of post-covid work experience”.
Ney, Greisch, Q-Build, MDP, Secolux, Venac partnered with the architects for the successful construction of ICONE