Anyone walking past the ZIN construction site today will see an (almost) finished building. But the transformation of the former WTC 1 & 2 towers into the innovative ZIN project did not happen overnight. In ‘HOW TO NOT DEMOLISH A BUILDING’ architecture firms 51N4E and l’AUC tell the complex and multi-layered story of the genesis of ZIN, the pioneer project in the North area of Brussels in terms of circularity, redevelopment and sustainability. From construction permit to redevelopment, from 1970 to today.
Many architects and engineers today believe that the most sustainable building is one that is never demolished. In the third edition of its Chapters series, Belgian architecture firm 51N4E tells the story behind the transformation of the two well-known 1970s office towers that were dismantled and redeveloped according to the principles of reduce-reuse-recycle into the ZIN project. The book consists of a collection of essays, interviews and quotes that offer innovative insights into the context of WTC, ZIN and, by extension, city of Brussels. A reflection from different perspectives and in different timeframes.
