Belgian property developer ION nominated for international real estate Oscars in Cannes
30/01/2025
Belgian property developer ION has just been nominated for the coveted MIPIM Awards in Cannes, also known as the international real estate Oscars. Those prestigious awards are handed out annually during the eponymous real estate fair MIPIM in the fashionable French seaside city. ION is among the four finalists in the “Best New Development” category, with its Amsterdam project “The Hive,” which it is realizing in partnership with Dutch Green Real Estate. The MIPIM jury nominated another Belgian entry in two other categories.
In the summer of 2022, ION and Green Real Estate won the tender to give the former Calvijn College in Amsterdam Nieuw-West a sustainable new future. The Belgian-Dutch alliance will start the works of 'The Hive' in May. This is a so-called mixed-use project with a total of 183 apartments, a health center, a community center and a cultural incubator where artists can live and work. The old, monumental school building will thus be given a new function and expanded with an energy-positive new building volume. The eye-catcher of the project is an inner-city climate forest.
In presenting the finalists, the MIPIM organization summarizes the project as a Belgian-Dutch collaboration that stands out for its energy-positive design (A++++), a unique inner-city climate forest and an innovative mix of housing, care and culture. 'The Hive' is called an example of sustainable urban development in which heritage, ecology and modern living go hand in hand.
For ION, it is the second nomination in two years. We continue to find it an incredible honor that our projects are valued by an international jury. We are also incredibly proud to share this success with our Dutch partner Green Real Estate. We hope to convince as many people as possible in the coming weeks during the voting rounds. The three other finalists in our category, with projects in Germany, Turkey and Lithuania, are also of a high standard. It's going to be an exciting race.
Strong Belgian projects
Over the past few weeks, the MIPIM jury scrutinized as many as 200 projects from 36 different countries. After a thorough assessment, four finalists were selected in ten different categories each. Besides ION, in two other categories - 'Best Reconversion' and 'Best Cultural, Sports and Education Project' - the jury also designated a Belgian finalist, respectively 'Polytoren' in Zwijnaarde and 'Egied van Broeckhoven School' in Brussels.
"We would like to congratulate our colleagues and architects on their nomination. It is not a given that a Belgian development reaches the shortlist of international awards such as the MIPIM Awards. Above all, it shows that an extraordinary amount of talent can be found in the Belgian real estate sector."
- Davy Demuynck, CEO of real estate developer ION
