The Arc of Shoreditch property, run by Ghelamco – a family-owned business, is now being run in the UK by founder Paul Gheysen’s daughter Marie-Julie.
“At the end of the day, there’s only one boss: ‘the customer. They’re always right”, says Paul Gheysens, the founder of and driving force behind family firm Ghelamco.
Ghelamco is one of the largest commercial property developers and investors in Belgium and Poland and has achieved steep growth over the last few years.
The group’s market position has been recognised by numerous prestigious awards, collected over several years and granted to the company and many of its projects.
The company, Ghelamco, 100% family-owned, was created in 1985 by Mr Paul Gheysens, but now it is being spearheaded by 27-year-old Marie-Julie Gheysens, the daughter of the former CEO.
Now Marie-Julie Gheysens, the head of UK international business development, says:
“I’m delighted to be representing women in construction as I believe there are no more barriers around gender – the baton was passed from my father to me to bring Ghelamco to the UK. My father set the firm over 35 years ago and is still a family business today.”
The Gheysens team is planning to welcome a series of new buildings called The Arc, a new fully electric development in Shoreditch featuring 100 new residential homes, 160,000 sq. ft of office and retail space, and a health and wellness hub with 413 cycle spaces.
The Arch of Shoreditch is Ghelamco’s first project in the UK. The award-winning Bowler James Brindley has curated the building’s interiors, offering sophisticated apartments that are an oasis to call home.
The residences have floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, creating light and bright interiors, and most homes offer private outdoor space in the form of terraces, balconies or winter gardens.
It also boasts an abundance of lifestyle amenities, including a yoga studio, fitness suite, communal lounge, golf simulation room and screening room.
And it even has its own Instagram page.
According to Marie-Julie Gheysens, it’s impossible to imagine life without Ghelamco. “Wherever we go, we’re always on the lookout for opportunities. Entrepreneurship is all about intuition.”
Prices at The Arc start from $954,000 for a studio apartment and a one-bedroom apartment, $1.3 million for a two-bedroom apartment and $4.2 million for a three-bedroom apartment.
An ‘ark’ is a place of refuge, safety, and sanctuary. The Arc fuses Art Moderne architecture with bristling inner energy by reimagining this through a modern lens.
The power of light and space harnessed to create a bright new beacon for City Road is spiriting residents to a new way of living. For a strong woman to be constructing such a masterpiece at such a young age is truly inspiring.