The Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU), formerly known as the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, has named a converted office tower in Brussels – called “ZIN in No(o)rd” – as the Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2025.
Begun in 2018 and completed last year, the project saw the 111m, 1970s-era World Trade Center Tower 1 turned into a mixed-use complex with offices, housing, hospitality and public amenities.
The design – by Jaspers-Eyers Architects, 51N4E, and l’AUC – introduced street life all up its 30 floors with new terraces, gardens and public spaces.
An efficient double-skin façade, passive ventilation, and integrated photovoltaics help save energy.
85% of the building saved
The conversion kept 85% of the structure’s mass, including cores and basements, and more than 60% of the material on the project has been reused on site or elsewhere.
CVU said the project, initiated by developer Befimmo Real Estate Group, sets a benchmark for large-scale adaptive reuse in Europe.
“We envisioned ZIN as a vertical neighbourhood that redefines how existing buildings can live again, where people work, live and connect in a continuous urban ecosystem,” said John Eyers, chief executive of Jaspers-Eyers Architects, which led the project.
“To have this vision recognised by CVU affirms that sustainable density is not just a design strategy, but a cultural and environmental imperative for cities worldwide.”
The construction team included BPC Group, CFE SA, and Van Laere.
Vertical ecosystems
The CVU’s 2025 Award of Excellence programme honoured more than 100 projects in 24 countries showing innovation in design, engineering, sustainability, and community-building.
“These projects go beyond creating efficient buildings; they create ecosystems,” said CVU chief executive Javier Quintana de Uña.
“They show that we can design upward not merely for density, but for regeneration, reducing carbon, restoring nature and enriching the social life of cities in the process.
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