With its 6 hectares of concrete and its tower of 140 meters, the ‘Cité Administrative’ is a beautiful example of the way the theories of private architecture were applied to public buildings.

Built in the 1950’s to accommodate 140,000 civil servants: The Cité Administrative was an incarnation, by its scale and its modernity, of the efficiency of the state and civil service. But the federalisation of Belgium put an end to the dreams of centralisation.

This symbol of ‘Bruxellisation’ destroyed a whole neighbourhood: 700 families were moved out of their houses, entire streets were lost, and the surrounding area never recovered. The complex took 25 years to construct for barely 20 years of occupation and is now obsolete and empty. The site will be empty for at least 3 to 5 years and subject to planning consultation, which will take several years to resolve.

In 2003, the Belgian State sold the Cité Administrative to a Dutch private group, Breevast S.A. (which had acquired the Tower of Finances one year earlier.) In 2004 Breevast S.A. resold half of the site to Dexia and Immobel/C.I.B (Compagnie immobilière de Belgique). In 2005 renovation works began on the Finance Tower.

The Cité Administrative, designated a “ZIR” (Zone of Regional Interest), is a major area of central Brussels and raises several key questions.

Who should be consulted on its future, those who live locally or the residents of Brussels? Will residents have any say in its future or only business interests? Will the Cité Administrative undergo demolition and rebuilding? Will the public spaces be privatised and social housing gentrified?

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