Good afternoon.
When you think of skyscrapers, you think of Manhattan or Chicago, Shanghai or even maybe London. Brussels? Not so much.
But maybe you should think again, because, in an article you may have missed amid all the strike coverage, a Brussels skyscraper has been named "World's best tall building" by the Council for Vertical Urbanism (no, I did not know they were a thing either) – the industry's "Oscars".
When you think of Brussels' architecture, it's a mixed bag. The haphazard randomness of "Brusselisation" post-war, or the beautiful flowing lines of the much underpublicised art nouveau building of Horta and the like. But there is a new wave of construction taking place in Brussels.
We may all complain about constant building works that seem to overwhelm this city – but some of the end products are to be celebrated for their innovation, design flair and inclusiveness. This is important – because buildings play an important role in a city's personality and its sense of being and community. How urban spaces are developed matters: they can make people feel that they have a stake in their surroundings and society, or they can encourage alienation and detachment.
So the fact that Brussels' building design is being recognised is something we should all celebrate.
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1. New cheaper SNCB ticket offer available from today
The new fares for train ticket are available from today, which SNCB says will make train travel cheaper for "70% to 80% of passengers." Read more.
2. Terror suspects who planned attack on Belgian PM will remain in prison
A third person was arrested last week as well, but he was released due to a lack of evidence. Read more.
3. Brussels wins ‘Oscars for skyscrapers’ and now houses World’s Best Tall Building
The award for "World's Best Tall Building 2025" did not go to a skyscraper in London, NYC or Shanghai, but to a building in Brussels Northern Quarter. Read more.
4. ‘Lawless zones’: Train staff raise alarm as SNCB records six assaults a day
There are six assaults every day on train staff in Belgium. "In most trains, conductors work alone, and when you are alone, you are not much of an authority." Read more.
5. Europe’s cultural heritage: ‘We need ancestral intelligence as much as we need AI’
Artists, architects, and policymakers from across Europe have gathered in Brussels to explore how cultural heritage can serve as a catalyst for renewal. Read more.
6. Nafi Thiam spat worsens as French-speaking Community halts athletics funding
Sports Minister for the French Community (FWB) has this week moved to suspend funding for the athletics body for Belgium's Francophones. Read more.
7. Fake ‘Le Soir’ copies from WW2 to go for auction
Two original copies of the fake edition of the newspaper Le Soir printed in November 1943 by Belgian resistance fighters, will soon be auctioned in Brussels. Read more.
