ZIN in No(o)rd named world’s best skyscraper of 2025 by CVU

The ZIN in No(o)rd project in Brussels has been awarded the prestigious title of “Best High-Rise Building in the World 2025” by the Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU, formerly CTBUH). The announcement occurred during the CVU’s annual conference in Toronto, with entries from 24 countries considered.

Standing at 111 meters tall, ZIN in No(o)rd is the outcome of a transformative redevelopment of a 1970s office complex into a vibrant vertical ecosystem. It now incorporates residential units, office floors, hotel space, and public amenities within a unified framework.

One of the project’s most notable achievements is its commitment to sustainability and material reuse. Approximately 85 percent of the original structural mass, including the building’s core and basements, was preserved, helping reduce demolition waste and retain embodied carbon. In addition, over 60 percent of materials used in the renovation were reused either on site or in other projects.

The redevelopment strategy involved reconfiguring two original towers and adding a third to link them into a cohesive structure. Green terraces, high-performance systems, and optimized orientation were incorporated to align with modern environmental and energy standards.