A project owner who wants buildings to convey a message needs an innovative architect or particular materials and technologies. Should the architecture adopt a traditional style to signify an unbroken line with previous generations or a more contemporary one to demonstrate modernity?

Financial institutions also want the architecture of their headquarters, branches or other offices to stand out from the crowd. The P&V Tower, the Dexia building at Passage 44, the National Bank, the CGER/ASLK (Caisse Générale d'Épargne et de Retraite/Algemene Spaar- en Lijfrentekas) headquarters and the new BNP Paribas building are just a few examples of this, covering a variety of architectural styles: modernist, functionalist and brutalist among them. Some of these buildings are also enjoying a new lease of life, such as the old Dexia building (Rue de Ligne/de Lignestraat), which is transitioning to a police centre, and the CGER/ASLK counter hall, converted into a food market.