ZÜBLIN Timber awarded timber construction contract for Gare Maritime in Brussels

• Former freight station to become an architectural attraction with businesses, offices, restaurants and event space
  
• Supporting timber structure of glued laminated timber and cross-laminated timber
• Contract value of approx. € 12 million

The international general contractor CFE Bouw Vlaanderen has awarded to ZÜBLIN Timber GmbH the timber construction works for the restoration of a former freight station in Brussels. Situated on the former industrial site Tour & Taxis in the heart of the Belgian capital, Gare Maritime consists of seven interconnected historic train sheds that have been transformed by Extensa Group into a large office, retail, restaurant and event complex.

Gare Maritime once was Europe’s largest freight station: around 45,000 m² of space measuring 270 m in length and 140 m across. The highest point of the roofs for the three main sheds is 24 m high. Here ZÜBLIN Timber will build twelve four-storey all-timber buildings consisting of large ribbed slabs (cross-laminated timber slabs on glued laminated timber ribs) on top of a supporting structure. In the centre of each building, there will be a large staircase and utility core of cross-laminated timber as reinforcement. In ten months of construction, ZÜBLIN Timber will install 9,000 m³ of wood, thereof 6,000 m³ of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and 3,000 m³ of glued laminated timber (GLT).

Timber construction by ZÜBLIN Timber: all from a single source
The contract for the 100 % subsidiary of Ed. Züblin AG covers both the BIM.5D®-based design as well as the construction and assembly of the timber structure. The large amount of wood and the related logistics and organisation are a unique challenge in this project, as is the coordination of the design and build works in the tightly structured schedule.

“Thanks to the innovative BIM-based design and planning methods, well-coordinated interfaces and modern products, we can easily deal with the task at hand,” explains Martin Schimpf, project manager at ZÜBLIN Timber. The Aichach, Bavaria-based company stands for innovative and pioneering solutions in the field of timber construction. It is a single-source provider for the development, production, delivery and execution of timber construction systems – from structural frames to timber engineering to turnkey construction.

A covered village in the middle of the city
When finished, Gare Maritime will be more than just an ensemble of buildings. It will be a roofed village, with plenty of green, offering enough space for retail, restaurants, businesses and public events. With tree-lined avenues, parks and squares, the lively urban neighbourhood will make a wonderful place for a stroll with a controlled climate that is matched to the individual seasons. Historic heritage coupled with an innovative architectural concept, a successful blend of work and leisure facilities – that should create interest not only among the local population but will likely result in Gare Maritime becoming a new tourist attraction in Brussels.