Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) has launched the design phase of the Palais Collectif, a new flexible and hybrid university facility located at the heart of the Plaine campus in Ixelles. Conceived as a new central hub, the project responds to the need for a unifying place on campus, capable of accommodating both academic activities and the informal uses of the university community.

The building, with a gross floor area of approximately 6,000 m², will bring together three main components: lecture halls, designed to host not only lectures but also conferences and academic events; a generous and versatile foyer, which will serve as a central meeting space as well as a venue for exhibitions, informal work, and events; and finally a research and laboratory hub. ULB envisions this new facility as a covered public square, open to both the campus and the city, in order to foster exchanges between students, teachers, researchers, and external partners.

To deliver the Palais Collectif, ULB has chosen a procurement approach combining design and build. The selected team will be required to include a class 8 general contractor and a multidisciplinary design team covering architecture, building services engineering, structural engineering, energy performance (EPB), acoustics, fire safety, soil remediation, landscape design, inclusion expertise, and BIM.

This newsletter refers to a prior information notice for the contract, ahead of the full procurement notice expected to be published at the end of May.