At present, the National Bank’s staff are spread over several buildings on Boulevard de Berlaimont and Place Sainte Gudule. By around 2030, all staff will be based at a single building, currently known as NBB1, located at 3 Boulevard de Berlaimont. Following the launch of a public tender in 2020, the design of the project was awarded to the Statuur consortium, consisting of the architecture firms KAAN Architecten and Low Architecten.

The Bank of tomorrow

Over half a century old, the Bank’s various buildings consume a considerable amount of energy, and the decision to renovate them is fully in line with the Bank’s desire to be even more socially responsible. Highly energy efficient, the new headquarters will also be a “smart building” meaning it will be more operationally efficient and, in addition, provide the Bank's staff with a modern and pleasant working environment, adapted to today’s needs and new ways of organising work.

The real estate strategy is one of 12 strategic objectives aimed at ensuring that the Bank remains a modern central bank at the service of society and at the heart of the Eurosystem. With this in mind, the Board of Directors announced in 2018 the intention to sell the Bank's printing works (completed in 2021), to build a new cash centre in Zellik by 2025, and to renovate NBB1 by 2030.

The goal of these projects is to ensure that the Bank possesses modern, efficient infrastructure. The new cash centre will enable highly automated cash processing under optimum security conditions, in line with international recommendations, while the renovation of NBB1 will allow all of the Bank’s staff to be gathered together in a modern, pleasant and user-friendly building.

Social responsibility

The consolidation of its staff in a single building will enable the National Bank to considerably reduce its occupied surface area (80,000 m2 compared with 217,000 m2 at present). This move is all the more justified given that, since the pandemic, teleworking has become widespread, with staff permitted to work up to 50% of the time from home. This means that fewer workstations and thus less space are needed. In addition, the renovation of the building will be carried out with a view to improving its energy performance; a better use of space will translate into a substantial reduction in energy consumption due to lower lighting, ventilation and heating needs.