The ‘Ellipse Building’ is a tower complex covering 52,000 m² in the Noordwijk area of Brussels, a beacon for which the VK carried out the stability study. The complex consists of three independently functioning buildings, situated around a common lobby which serves as the single address for the complex and houses the main circulation routes for the buildings. The separate buildings are also connected to one another via several elevated walkways.

The tallest building is without a doubt also the most eye catching, due in part to its elliptical form. With 22 floors above ground, almost the entire building was built using prefabricated elements. This method allowed for speedy erection of the building, a rate of 2 floors every 3 weeks. During the construction recesses were created to enable the “non-progressive collapse” chain reinforcement to run on. This offers the building a higher level of structural integrity, even if the supporting elements were to fall away.

The buildings facades are predominantly glass. This curtain wall effect of uninterrupted glass covers the entire length of the building. Only the main entrance has been designed using large glass panels, giving a highly transparent appearance.

The three basement floors, 10 meters below the street level, are used by all 3 buildings. The first basement level houses meeting and conference rooms, a company restaurant, and cafeteria. An enclosed garden has been designed and built on the same level, allowing natural light to stream in. The two other basement levels are used as parking and storage areas.