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- La Gare Maritime, Brussels
A 280-metre listed station façade where 204 custom-shaped BIPV modules become the architectural rhythm — not an addition to it
204 unique panels for a nationally listed station façade — trapezoidal, arched, non-standard, and every one of them working
Europe’s largest CLT redevelopment — BIPV as a defining element of its protected Picard Street façade
Built between 1907 and 1908, La Gare Maritime is a 280-metre-long station spanning seven joined train halls, 140 metres wide and 23 metres to the roof peaks. Its art-nouveau iron and cast-iron structure is nationally listed. The redevelopment by Extensa/Nextensa and Neutelings Riedijk Architects transformed it into a climate-neutral, fossil-free urban hub — with 12 new interior volumes built entirely in cross-laminated timber, the largest CLT project in Europe, and no gas connection whatsoever.
Within this building-scale sustainability strategy, ISSOL® was assigned one of the project’s most technically demanding interventions: integrating solar generation into the listed Picard Street façade. Working in partnership with AGC Active Glass, ISSOL® designed and fabricated 204 BIPV modules in varying shapes — trapezoidal formats, arched contours, non-standard dimensions — each engineered to match the architectural rhythm of the historic station. All cabling was fully concealed within the curtain wall profiles developed by CS Raamconstructies. The result is a façade that generates up to 190 Wp per panel while looking exactly as the heritage brief required.
Voltage balancing across 204 unique modules — R&D at panel level to deliver system-level unity
- 204 modules in varying shapes and dimensions: trapezoidal formats, arched contours and non-standard sizes engineered to the station’s architectural grid — no standard panel applied to a heritage context
- Partnership with AGC Active Glass for glass-glass laminate production; ISSOL® R&D resolved voltage balancing and cell distribution across the non-uniform module array to ensure seamless electrical performance across the entire façade
- Semi-transparent construction: daylight filters through while modules provide passive solar shading — the inherent dual function of ISSOL® Square in any orientation
- All wiring concealed within the curtain wall profiles fabricated by CS Raamconstructies; zero visible conduit across the nationally protected façade elevation
- Heritage compliance throughout: strict visual limits, coordination during active building use, close collaboration between ISSOL®, Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Bureau Bouwtechniek and the contractors
- Lessons from this project — complex voltage balancing, non-standard module geometry — subsequently applied to performing arts venues and urban public buildings across Europe
Why it fits: La Gare Maritime demanded something no standard BIPV catalogue could offer: 204 individually shaped modules following the trapezoidal and arched geometry of a nationally listed 1907 station façade, each generating up to 190 Wp, with cabling invisible within the curtain wall. ISSOL® Square’s glass-glass semi-transparent construction gave the project the heritage-neutral aesthetic the brief required. ISSOL®’s in-house R&D capability — resolving voltage balancing at panel level across a non-uniform module array — made the electrical system viable. The partnership with AGC Active Glass and the integration with CS Raamconstructies’ curtain wall delivered what complex projects need: accountability across glass, cells and installation in a single supply chain.
ISSOL® BIPV façade — parameters for rapid evaluation
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application | BIPV heritage façade | Nationally listed Picard Street façade; 1907 station; vertical integration |
| ISSOL® solution | ISSOL® Square | Custom glass-glass PV laminates; semi-transparent; silicon cells; based on ISSOL® Square platform |
| BIPV façade capacity | ~38.8 kWp | ISSOL® scope; separate from the 3.26 MWp rooftop installation |
| Module count | 204 modules | Varying shapes and dimensions; each engineered to the station’s architectural grid |
| Per-panel output | Up to 190 Wp | Per custom module; semi-transparent construction; generation + daylighting + passive shading |
| Module formats | Trapezoidal · arched · non-standard | Custom geometry per position; all formats electrically active |
| Cabling | Fully concealed | Within curtain wall profiles by CS Raamconstructies; zero visible wiring on listed elevation |
| Electrical engineering | Voltage balancing per module | ISSOL® R&D resolved cell distribution across non-uniform array for seamless system performance |
| Glass fabrication | ISSOL® + AGC Active Glass | Partnership for glass-glass laminate production at custom dimensions and formats |
| Curtain wall | CS Raamconstructies | Frame fabrication and BIPV module integration into listed façade |
| Total site output | ~3,000 MWh/yr | BIPV façade + 3.26 MWp rooftop (10,000+ panels) combined; building covers over two-thirds of energy demand |
| Building energy | Climate-neutral · fossil-free | No gas connection; geothermal heat pumps, adiabatic cooling, dynamic glazing, rainwater recovery |
| CLT structure | 12 interior CLT volumes | Largest CLT project in Europe; demountable and modular; drastically reduced construction CO₂ |
| Completed | 2020 | Brussels, Belgium |
“La Gare Maritime represents the new frontier of solar design: where innovation doesn’t compete with heritage, and where renewable energy is made visible, valuable and beautiful.”
La Gare Maritime — Brussels, 2020
204 custom modules, one continuous façade — solar generation built into the architectural language of a 1907 landmark
