Industrial heritage

The site has a rich industrial past:

On the one hand building E was erected there in 1865 by the Manufacture Royale de pianos François Berden et Cie, followed by buildings C and F in order to produce these renowned pianos. At that time access was via rue Keyenveld 42.

On the other hand Chocolaterie Antoine, founded in 1850, developed its activity on rue du Prince Royal 37-41 and rue Keyenveld 48.

In 1903 the premises of the piano factory were taken over by Chocolaterie Antoine (which in fact mainly produced confectionery) and became one site.

It ceased its activity in 1950 and the site was occupied by the Belgian government's Public Land Administration which used it as a warehouse for school equipment. The buildings on rue Keyenveld were sold and the main access was via rue du Prince Royal 37.

In the second half of the 1990s the site was transformed into one of the first large complexes of industrial lofts in the Brussels Region and was published in several books. It was occupied and inhabited by a bohemian population and notably arbitrated one of the first co-working spaces focused on digital before the dot-com bubble of the year 2000 (building C).