While D'Ieteren's iconic headquarters in the Châtelain district of Ixelles is a beloved staple of Brussels' varying architecture for some, for others it is an eye-sore.
Love it or hate it, it has now been added to the Brussels conservation list to ensure this 20th-century heritage is not lost.
The move comes as part of a regional government project to protect modernist and brutalist buildings, with large parts of D'Ieteren's iconic modernist headquarters on rue du Mail in Ixelles now included on the Brussels conservation list.
These reflect the spirit of an era and the architectural revival of the 1960s and 1970s. It has also created an inventory procedure for the most remarkable of them.
"Brussels is not only the city of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, but our city also boasts a large number of Modernist and Brutalist buildings," Brussels Secretary of State for Town Planning and Heritage, Ans Persoons, said.
She recognised that while some may consider these styles to be ugly, the secretary of state also stressed that the region "cannot repeat the mistakes of the past" by neglecting the value of these historic buildings.
The D'Ieteren in Brussels in 2008. Credit: Belga/ Aude Vanlathem
"It was once different, but appreciation for these among the general public, from home and abroad, has been increasing enormously in recent years."
D'Ieteren's headquarters was built between 1962 and 1967 to plans by René Stapels, assisted by architects Robert Badinet, B. Lefèvre-Feragen, Jean-Louis Lemaître and Jamar, who were influenced by American architecture where functionality was paramount. The eye-catcher is the large plinth above which another structure seems to float.
The fact it has been added to the list means any future work on the building will have to preserve its protected features.
The plans for the building. Credit: urban.brussels
The Brussels Region is pursuing a policy not only to protect this heritage from demolition but also to renovate it and give it a new future.
Several iconic modernist office buildings from the 1960s and 1970s have already been completely renovated or are under renovation, including the former Royal Belge (also designed by René Stapels), the former headquarters of cement company CBR and the former Mint Centre on Boulevard Anspach.
