Royale Belge, Functionalist office building at Boulevard du Souverain, Belgium.
Royale Belge is a functionalist office building with a distinctive cross-shaped layout that demonstrates modernist design principles. Its exterior features corten steel and bronze-tinted windows, standing about 51 meters tall with clear vertical and horizontal structural elements.
The building was designed in 1967 by architects René Stapels and Pierre Dufau and originally served as headquarters for the insurance company Royale Belge. After the company merged with AXA in 1999, the structure was later redeveloped and repurposed as a mixed-use complex.
This building shows how Brussels embraced functionalist design in the 1960s as a response to modern business needs. The clear geometric shape and visible materials reflect a practical approach where form follows function directly.
The site is today known as Mix Brussels, where visitors can access hotel rooms, dining options, and wellness facilities spread across multiple floors. The surrounding landscape with ponds and green spaces offers a pleasant setting for walking and easy access from the nearby Sonian Forest.
The landscape design surrounding the building was created by Jean Delogne and Claude Rebold and creates a smooth transition to the adjacent forest area. This careful integration shows how functionalism extended beyond the structure itself to include the natural surroundings in the overall design concept.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
