Quatuor

A Celebration of the lounge bar golden era

For Quatuor, a new office building complex in Brussels Northern district, Befimmo trusted ncbham to create a welcoming experience for the common spaces in Tower B and C, as well as its interior garden.

To ensure a clear differentiation of each tower, our team chose to develop two distinctive but connected environments, with inspirations, aesthetics and experiences of their own: a celebration of the lounge bar golden era and a joyful take on Belgian surrealism.

The large surfaces of each lobby and the impressive height of the ceilings were key elements we took into account when designing, as we aimed for a warm and cozy space for clients and employees.

Upon entering tower B of Befimmo’s Quatuor building, the first point of attention is the bespoke streamlined reception desk, made of stone, tiles and brass.

Spectacular velvet curtains, reminiscent of another era, then offer guests a time-travel moment, leading the eye to the heart and soul of the space: the piano lounge and its magnificent instrument, sitting exquisitely near the curved glass façade. Under the mezzanine, the stone and brass bar provides service for special events.

“THE PIANO KEYS ARE BLACK AND WHITE BUT THEY SOUND LIKE A MILLION COLOURS IN YOUR MIND”

Tom Lehrer

Detail of brass handrail against a backdrop of deep blue pleated velvet fabric Upper level of the staircase near a large window with reflections of the city and a suspended circular mirror Night view of the brass staircase and dramatic lighting in front of a dark blue curtain Curved brass handrail and wooden steps lit by natural light in front of a rich blue velvet backdrop
A black Yamaha piano and matching bench placed near a tall window, partially framed by indoor plants and golden stair railings with urban traffic visible outside.
Refined seating area featuring a beige armchair, dark velvet backdrop, potted plants and a glimpse of the piano reflection on a glossy surface in the Quatuor space.
Interior night view of the Quatuor bar space featuring a terrazzo island table with black stools, pendant lighting, velvet curtains and a backlit navy tiled bar.
Minimalist bar with a terrazzo front panel, black faucet, and brass trim, highlighted by soft architectural shadows on the white wall.
Overhead view of a terrazzo table with black chairs, a curved velvet armchair on a soft lilac rug, and pendant lights suspended above a wooden floor.
Nighttime top view of an oval terrazzo table surrounded by black chairs, illuminated by warm pendant lights over a wooden floor.

SPATIAL ORIENTATION

ncbham also led the spatial orientation reflection and developed the signage throughout the building complex.

Concrete wall with illuminated level indicator "A 1" in a parking area, enhanced by blue LED lighting and exposed ductwork. Brick wall in a basement parking area marked "B 2" with orange ambient lighting and visible technical infrastructure. Underground parking area featuring a "C -1" graphic sign on a grey concrete wall under exposed cable trays. Close-up of "C -1" illuminated signage on a textured concrete wall with purple LED lighting in a parking area.
signage by Bullseye
Set of minimalist black pictograms for signage, including parking indication, family, exit, electric vehicle, elevator, stairs, directional arrows, and fire extinguisher. Concrete wall with light blue graphic signage indicating level A-2, accompanied by a staircase with a glass railing and natural daylight entering the space. Bright orange wall featuring large white signage for level B-2, with directional pictograms indicating toilets, tower B, and elevator, accompanied by white doors and industrial ceiling ducts. Welcoming experience at befimmo Welcoming experience at befimmo Welcoming experience at befimmo

The garden is designed as a tropical island to explore, with a multitude of curves and colors, away from the rectangular concrete jungle of the city.

Architectural rendering of a public courtyard surrounded by office buildings, with landscaped gardens, trees, seating areas, and people interacting in a sunlit, urban green space
Welcoming experience at befimmo

The second tower project, our “joyful take on surrealism”, did not get built, but deserves to be shared nonetheless.

“DARK CLOUDS BECOME HEAVEN’S FLOWERS WHEN KISSED BY LIGHT”

Rabindranath Tagore

welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces
welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces welcoming experience for the common spaces
Welcoming experience at befimmo
Render of a sunlit lobby with terrazzo flooring, gradient acoustic wall panels, indoor plants, and minimal furniture, featuring silhouettes of people interacting.
Project team

Magdalena Zogorska
Catia Lopes
Nguyen-Bao Thai Ngoc
Marc Martinez

Partners

Bullseye
Jungl
Pictures by Save As
Tecnibo

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