The VUB Rectorate Building, constructed between 1973 and 1978, is one of Antwerp architect Renaat Braem’s final masterpieces. At that time, he was shifting from an international modernist style towards more organic, biomorphic structures. This can be seen in the circular Glaverbel building in Watermael-Boitsfort/Watermaal-Bosvoorde (1963–1967), on which he had recently worked alongside André Jacqmain, Victor Mulpas and Pierre Guillissen. The VUB Rectorate Building was one of a series of buildings commissioned by the academic authorities to occupy the former Plaine des Manœuvres/Oefenplein in Ixelles/Elsene in the late 1960s, as part of an initiative to create extensions for the two new universities (Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)) formed when the former Free University of Brussels split along linguistic lines into Dutch- and French-speaking institutions. Its elliptical oblong shape resembles a spaceship that has landed on the square. Braem said: “I consider the ellipse to be the principal form of nature, the path of atoms around the nucleus, the orbit of the Earth around the sun.” Nicknamed ‘the Cigar’ in reference to its side profile, the building with its 700 windows is designed as an allegory of open-mindedness, representing the values of free inquiry that underpin VUB. The 75-metre-long, 15-metre-wide structure houses office spaces laid out around the edges, surrounding a central core. The wisdom of this large building is enhanced by a powerful cap-shaped canopy protecting the entrance, reminiscent of the buildings in Chandigarh designed by Le Corbusier, who was a major influence on Braem. It is decorated with Masonic symbols, reflecting Braem’s membership of a Masonic order. The most ironic design feature is the three superimposed umbrellas, a critique of the bureaucratic policies that Braem had to contend with throughout his career. Inside, many ornaments adorn the spaces, as can be seen in the entrance hall, where the wall is enlivened by a spiral brick pattern. The staircase, a piece of virtuoso craftsmanship and art, leads to the upper floors, which are decorated with murals painted by Braem himself. A recent restoration by Origin Architecture & Engineering has revealed all of the building’s original features.