BRUSSELS (Brussels Morning) – Hotel owner and developer Everland opens a boutique hotel on the Luchtvaartsquare in Cureghem, not far from South Station. The new hotel should contribute to the new élan of the neighbourhood, which is in full development.
Owner and developer Everland has taken advantage of the corona period to expand the modest empire of boutique hotels in Brussels. The recent opening of hotel The Scott in Sint-Gillis and Urban Yard in Anderlecht fits within that context.
Interior architect Michel Penneman combined a former warehouse, an outdated hotel and a mixed building on the Luchtvaart Square to create Urban Yard, which has 77 rooms and a spacious breakfast room and spacious courtyard garden for hotel guests.
In his own words, the interior architect was inspired by the environment and refers to urban and natural influences. On one hand, the hotel has a large courtyard garden and a patch of water, a reference to the Senne, and on the other, there is the city.
A neighbourhood in change
The Luchtvaartsquare has already undergone a complete renovation as part of the Pequeur-Aviation District Contract. The square was then classified as a pedestrian zone and many trees were planted.
In addition, almost a year ago, the Brussels government approved the draft Plan for Construction for the district around the South Station. This should guide urban development in the neighbourhood, but should also boost the public space in the area.
Ugly Duckling
“The international traveller gets off at the South Station and always sees something different,” says Everland CEO Thierry Jousse. But for him, that change is only a good sign. “The neighbourhood will no longer be the ugly duckling, but a full-fledged space where you can relax, wine and dine,” predicts Jousse.
“The middle class will revive and there will be more jobs. You can already see more warmth here in the evenings and that feeling will only intensify. The hotel will play a role in that. Our hotels bring life and enthusiasm to these and other districts of Brussels.”
Everland has specialised in the development and management of real estate projects since 2006. In figures, Everland has 2,000 flats, 10 hotels, 150,000 square metres under development in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as approximately 1,000 student residences.