Paradis Express: a new multifunctional eco-district in the heart of Liège

6 December 2022
Strategically located in the heart of the city, between the Paradis Tower and Liège-Guillemins station, Paradis Express is a brand new, perfectly integrated site, enjoying a privileged location in Liège. It offers a mix of functions and meets the expectations of the city's inhabitants. Connected to each other by open and pedestrian spaces, the seven buildings of the project are harmoniously integrated into a neighbourhood undergoing major changes. 

REVALUATION AND DYNAMICS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

The project brings a fresh look to the redevelopment of the Guillemins district. The first buildings of Paradis Express, now delivered, bear witness to the relevance of the project's initial and ambitious objectives: to become a place of meeting and exchange that will enliven urban life 24/7. Thanks to its mix of functions, the district will always be lively, even after office hours. This is a project where living, working and playing go hand in hand with an innovative and dynamic urban neighbourhood.

The Paradis Express eco-district is a perfect example of Befimmo's vision: to create, manage and build stimulating living and working spaces for a sustainable future. It offers a comprehensive response to the evolution of our working and living habits. Paradis Express will also contribute to the wider development of the district and bring life to it 7 days a week. We can be proud of this and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank all the teams involved in this extraordinary project. - Jean-Philip Vroninks, CEO of Befimmo

MIX OF FUNCTIONS: A RESPONSE TO A REAL NEED IN THE LOCAL MARKET

Offices, coworking, housing and coliving share the entire site.

The office part comprises two buildings located near the Paradis Tower.

  • • This summer, the first building with a total surface area of 15,600 m² housed the Service Public de Wallonie (SPW) (spread over 9 floors and 11,700 m²). A 10th Silversquare coworking space (3,800 m²) also opened its doors in September in the building on the lower floors, thus offering the entire site a wide range of services to the occupants.
  • • The second building, 5,600 m² on 7 levels, houses Deloitte (3,330 m²) and the National Employment Office (ONEM) (2,300 m²).

 

The residential part consists of 5 buildings. These consist of 115 flats in 4 buildings, developed by Matexi. The last building is owned by Yust, a coliving operator that offers short stay, long stay, events, a restaurant and an exhibition hall. Yust Liège opened its doors in May.

Oliver De Wael, Senior Contract Manager at Befimmo, is delighted:

The offices fully meet the needs of the local market. All the office space was rented well before the end of the works, which shows that the offices fully meet the needs of a new generation of users. All were attracted by the location in the city centre, the proximity to shops and housing and the access to a wide range of services.

A HUGE MURAL AS SIGN OF FRIENDSHIP AND WELCOME

To celebrate the opening of its coworking space in Liège-Guillemins, Silversquare chose to collaborate with the artist PREF to create a gigantic mural, right in front of the coworking space. The idea proposed by the artist is based on the phrase "shake hands" in a woven style. This phrase is mainly about collaboration. Every collaboration starts and ends with a handshake. Shaking hands is also a gesture of friendship and welcome. Silversquare thus confirms its welcoming position by opening its doors wide to anyone who wishes to work, meet and network from its stimulating workspaces.

INNOVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Paradis Express meets the highest standards of quality, innovation and environmental performance. A BREEAM "Excellent" certification was obtained in the "Design" phase. The project was also awarded a prize at the 2016 MIPIM Awards, in the "Best Futura Project" category, out of 230 entries from 43 countries.