New offices for public broadcaster VRT, Belgium

New offices for public broadcaster VRT, Belgium

The VRT, the Flemish Public Broadcaster, has selected a partner for the construction of its new building project, to which they intend to move in the summer of 2026. Jan De Nul is part of the construction team.

Jan De Nul will take up this challenge, together with colleague-contractor Willemen Construct, construction technology group EEG, architectural offices OFFICE Kersten Geers, David Van Severen, Jaspers-Eyers Architects and Bureau Bas Smets, engineering offices Tractebel and CES and TV and radio studio builder Ideal Acoustics,. Under the name VRT Morgen (which translates as VRT Tomorrow), forces are joined to realise the new VRT house together.

Horizontal and compact building

The new 65,000 m² VRT house will remain on the current site in the Reyerslaan. It will be a compact and versatile building of two stacked volumes. The basis is an octagonal volume with a spacious lobby, an event area, a company restaurant, logistics work areas with loading and unloading zones and three large television studios. Above this is the second volume with a total of three floors. Each floor comprises a spacious work floor measuring 87 m x 87 m.

The VRT has opted for a horizontal building that promotes a new way of working. Employees will literally work together on large work platforms that can respond flexibly to how media will evolve in the coming decades.  The building will be a place where creation and interaction play a key role.

Five inner gardens

The new VRT house will be a compact building, integrated into the natural environment and with a limited ecological footprint. On the one hand, the construction project has opted to preserve as many existing trees as possible and, on the other hand, the new building is 100% free of fossil fuels. An insulating building shell will be used and the building will be fully heated by means of recuperated heat and heat pumps. Another 2,300 m² of solar panels will be installed on the roof. The building will also have five large inner gardens and adjoining terraces. The combination with the trees and the park makes this a distinct green environment, both inside and out.