Belgian National Institute for Radio Broadcasting

This Art Deco building dates back to the 1930s and has earned the nickname "the sound factory" due to its unmatched acoustic qualities. It is one of the first radio studios in the world. Architect Joseph Diongre, along with sound engineer Raymond Braillard, won the architecture competition of the NIR in 1934. The then 55-year-old architect managed to reconcile aesthetics with technical requirements. In 1939, the NIR was put into operation and quickly gained worldwide fame for the quality of its studios. In 1973, the BRT and the RTB moved to the new Reyers complex in Schaarbeek. The building soon fell into decay, although it was protected in 1994 and placed on UNESCO's list of the most endangered buildings in the world in 1997. Fortunately, it was saved from ruin by a private organization in 1998, and today it is an important cultural center featuring jazz and music festivals, concerts, films, and debates.

Basilica Koekelberg