The renovation of the historic headquarters of the D’Ieteren Group – a site covering approximately 60,000 m² on Rue du Mail/Maliestraat in Ixelles – is set to begin. Andry Henry (MR), Brussels’ State Secretary for Urban Planning, has given the green light by issuing the urban planning permit.
The Belgian group, which has traditionally specialized in importing and selling cars from Volkswagen Group brands, plans to house offices, stores, service facilities, and meeting and exhibition spaces in the renovated complex.
Designed by the British firm AL_A, the project is also intended to make the site more accessible to the neighborhood.
Modernist-style complex
The D’Ieteren Group – then known as “D’Ieteren Frères” – has been located in the Chatelain district in Ixelles since 1906. Alfred and Émile D’Ieteren, grandsons of the wheelwright Jean-Joseph D’Ieteren, who carried out commissions for Brussels coachbuilders around 1805, had their new facilities built there.
These included an “ultramodern workshop” for their coachbuilding operations. Over the years, these commercial buildings were thoroughly renovated and expanded in successive phases.
Between 1961 and 1967, the building was extensively expanded into a modernist-style complex with functionalist elements, designed by architect René Stapels. That iconic building has been on the preservation list since 2024, and is now set to be renovated by D’Ieteren Immo after nearly a decade of planning.
50RM
The project, called “50RM” after the address in French (50 rue du Mail), must balance architectural preservation with contemporary requirements for safety, energy performance, and accessibility.
The plans also call for the greening of existing paved surfaces, landscaping, sustainable water management, and renewable energy installations. The rooftop parking spaces will be integrated into a green environment.
The D’Ieteren Gallery, the museum dedicated to the company’s history and mobility, will also be part of the renovated complex. The gas station will be demolished. The former showroom will be converted into a retail space that will also include a restaurant. The work is expected to take 3 to 3.5 years.
Lucien Flagship Store is moving
As part of the complex’s renovation, the Lucien Flagship Store at the headquarters has also moved to 334 Chaussée de Waterloo/Waterloosesteenweg, a short distance away. Lucien is the D’Ieteren Group’s specialized bicycle subsidiary and retail chain.
The flagship store, which opened in 2022, was formerly a garage that served as the company’s large car showroom. Customers could also test ride bicycles there on a 1,500 m² indoor test track.
The renovation project predates D’Ieteren Automotive’s September 2026 announcement of up to 344 jobs at risk. However, the restructuring also envisages ending the remaining new-car delivery activities at the Ixelles headquarters.
