OFFICE 280

The new brewery for Brussels Beer Project (BBP) is located along the Brussels canal in Port Sud, a former industrial zone undergoing rapid redevelopment. The building – a compact and efficient industrial container – houses the complete beer production process and is also open to the public. While complying with a range of technological and sanitary standards, its design resolves logistical challenges and the high pollution levels of the brownfield site, enabling a sustainable production process. A skewed rectangular box has a concrete base and an inclined roof that reveals its underside behind the glazed upper facade. The roof performs as a giant billboard, with painted stripes in the characteristic colours of BBP beer labels. The section of varying height accommodates a highly compact multi-level arrangement of the brewing machinery and vats in a series of table-like platforms connected with stairs. Akin to large pieces of furniture, these elements populate the space and are visible through the large semi-reflective greenhouse facade. The open plan enables a flexible organisation that can be altered as the technological requirements evolve. The roof overhang in the back shelters a beer garden, a popular stop alongside a cycle route.