The international competition for the design of the new SNCB building, which was won by the OMA bureau, lasted two years, from 2018 to early 2020. It was about three large-scale structures blocking the railway from the city in front of the Brussels-Midi station. They were erected for the 1958 World's Fair for the postal service: there was a sorting center in the center, office buildings on the sides. They were built by different architects, they have different floor heights and interiors, but uniform brick facades.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, these buildings have been empty, but now a new life awaits them, designed by the architects OMA, led by partner Rainier de Graaf. They will be reconstructed, from the side of the tracks they will add a volume of fritted glass with transparent circles-portholes, and gardens will be laid out on the roofs.
The new building, 19 m thick and 236 m long, will not have a rear and front façade; both of its long sides are designed for urban surroundings.
Four buildings (total area - 75,000 m2) will be divided into three zones: front (public), middle - transitional, and closed, for employees. The latter will be the most extensive: it will include two old office buildings and a new glass one.
A public area with a three-story transparent lobby will appear in the sorting center: its permeability, cafes and shops should revive the gloomy Fonsnie Street, along which the complex stretches. The transitional part includes conference and seminar rooms located there, a hall for 200 spectators, a fitness center and a dining room.
