It may sound silly to suggest that a 38-storey skyscraper is a ‘hidden’ gem, but it’s easy to miss the Tour du Midi or Zuidertoren as you rush headlong from the station onto the Esplanade d’Europe.

But . . . look up.

 

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RU//EN Южная Башня в Брюсселе – самое высокое здание города, да и во всей Бельгии: 148 метров или 38 этажей. // South Tower in Brussels – the tallest building in the city and in the whole Belgium: 148 meters or 38 floors. _____ #vldmrphoto_brussels #visitbrussels #southtower #brusselsphotographer

A post shared by Vladimir Selivanov (@vldmr.photo) on Aug 30, 2018 at 12:13pm PDT

At 150 metres tall (171, including the antenna), the modernist Pensions Tower, as it’s also known, was built between 1962 and 1967 and for five years was the tallest building in Europe outside Moscow and Warsaw, before being gazumped by the 210 metre Tour Montparnasse in Paris.

Using a revolutionary construction method for the time, each floor is cantilevered from a single central column, itself anchored to a foundation platform nine metres below ground. This approach cleverly maximises office space inside and, at ground level, creates the effect of a floating building – an impression enhanced by the glimmering pool beneath the tower.

On the west and east facades, water plays through abstract copper and steel sculptures by Jean-Pierre Ghysels and Jacques Moeschal, creator of the iconic Fleche de la Genie Civile for the 1958 World Expo.

Semi-reflective solar glass cladding was fitted in 1996, unifying the facia. Take a moment. Sit on the low basin wall. Listen to the water babble and see the changing moods of the Brussels sky, reflected.

Next time: Cantillon Brewery.

The post Brussels Hidden Gems: Tour du Midi/Zuidtoren appeared first on Brussels Express.

His experience in Brussels was unfortunately a negative one. On Sunday morning, he shared on social media a long post explaining that his bike was stolen at Gare du Midi.

Junjie Lu went on to write:

« I spent more than 15,000 kilometers in nearly 20 months, starting from Shanghai, after a long and hard journey through more than a dozen countries arrived in Brussels, and my destination is Paris, close at hand. Unfortunately my bicycle was stolen at the gate of the Bruxelles-Midi train station at 9.30-10.00 (16th Nov). The red circle in the picture, it is my fault I locked it but not on the railing. Now I just want to get back my bike as soon as possible because I have to continue to ride to Paris. And my visa will expire in a week, I am eager to complete my trip, please understand the how difficulty for a single cyclist such a long way.  »

The post After cycling for more than twelve thousand miles a Chinese man had his bicycle stolen at Gare du Midi appeared first on Brussels Express.