Another important use of glass in the building was as decoration in the elevators, where we used three different colours of AGC Matelac. Matelac glass has a matt finish, but it's still glass in terms of maintenance, durability and appearance. It’s exactly what we were looking for.
The new BNP Paribas Fortis headquarters, recently inaugurated in Brussels, is a remarkable building featuring numerous technical innovations and the creative use of materials. AGC was selected to supply glass in a wide variety of designs and applications. Architect Eric Delgoffe at Jaspers-Eyers Architects and Bhadresh Parbhoo from AGC Glass Europe's International Building Projects Team worked together to make this a prestigious building showcasing the creative use of glass, both inside and out.
What really sets apart the new BNP Paribas Fortis headquarters is the multitude of glass applications. "Glass is used on the facade of course, but also in various elements inside the building, such as the partitioning of the many rooms and the decoration of the elevator", explains architect Eric Delgoffe. “While the glass has to deliver good thermal and acoustic performance, durability is also important – as is its ability to render colours correctly. We like glass to let in as much light as possible without distorting natural colours. Since AGC delivers on all these requirements, we work together with them on many projects."
Eric Delgoffe likes the fact that AGC gets involved in projects at an early stage. "AGC is a very active partner with whom we often have interesting discussions. They quickly come up with solutions, sometimes even before the client gets involved." He is delighted with how the façade turned out. "Especially the way the mezzanines glazing matches the traditional windows. Using the same colour creates a certain degree of continuity. The building also includes several special applications, such as the sky lobby and the terrace on the same floor as the board room, where there is some very impressive glasswork.
The facade is fitted with AGC Stopray Ultra-60 solar control glass on Clearvision. “The facade features triple glazing in which all three sheets are low-iron Clearvision glass, allowing light to pass through efficiently while providing good solar protection,” says Bhadresh Parbhoo. "For the interior, we supplied fire-resistant glass from Euroglas-De Landtsheer with the collaboration of Panal, INPRO and BelgoGlass. Pyrobel Vision Line 54 fire-resistant glass without mullions lasts up to 120 minutes in case of fire (EI120) and allows an open and unhindered view." Eric Delgoffe adds: "Another important use of glass in the building was as decoration in the elevators, where we used three different colours of AGC Matelac. Matelac glass has a matt finish, but it's still glass in terms of maintenance, durability and appearance. It’s exactly what we were looking for."
AGC's Lacobel Pure White was also used in the offices. “Here, we opted for ClearVision extra-clear glass as the base with white paint on the back,” explains Bhadresh Parbhoo. "Lacobel was a great choice because not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it can also be used as a whiteboard during meetings. Another great application was using our Stratophone acoustic glazing for partitions. This creates a quiet, relaxing atmosphere in meeting rooms that contrasts with the buzz of open-plan offices. For the BNP Paribas Fortis project, we went to great lengths to choose glazing that optimally respects the architecture. There's a reason our motto is Your Dreams, Our Challenge. All our glass products are also Cradle to Cradle Certified®, which contributes to the building's sustainability."