With no private investor found to renovate the iconic Hotel Continental on Place De Brouckère in Brussels city centre, the City of Brussels has decided to take over the project and renovate the building itself.
Until moving to the new Brucity administrative centre of the City of Brussels in the Rue des Halles at the start of the year, the city services of the Land Agency were housed in the building.
At the end of 2021, the Brussels City authorities started looking for a private investor, who would receive a leasehold of at least 50 years and had to refurbish the building. However, there were very few responses to the call, with the City now planning on carrying out the work on the building itself.
Under the supervision of architect Déborah Van der Linden, technical director of the Land Management, a mixed project was drawn up to prepare the building for "activities that meet the ambitions of a dynamic, resilient and hospitable city," Bruzz reports.
Four floors and a rooftop terrace
Not much will change on the outside of the building, as the renovation works will largely be inside the building. The interior dates from the late 1970s, as the original inside of the building was demolished and rebuilt in the Brusselization era, where the building lost much of its heritage value.
In the new project, two floors will be removed so the other ceilings can be raised, in order to make the building regain some of its former spaciousness. The aim is to have a hospitality business on the ground floor with a mezzanine.
The first floor, also with a mezzanine, is predestined for a retail business; the second for a fashion workshop or other manufacturing company, and the third will be used as office spaces. On the fourth floor, which leads to a rooftop terrace with panoramic views, a bar and restaurant is planned.
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The well-known Coca-Cola billboard – on the roof since 1952 – is no longer part of the plans, meaning it will likely be removed. Since it lost its licence about 1.5 years ago, the billboard's lights have been off.
Place de Brouckère in 1971. Credit: Belga Archives
As it will take at least another year before the renovation works can start and the City of Brussels prefers not to leave the building empty for too long, a project of temporary occupation was sought, preferably with a social or circular café on the ground floor. A project has now reportedly been selected, but it still has to be approved by the city council.
The public inquiry will run until April 20, the consultation committee will take place on May 9.
