The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

35 two floors. The piece symbolises how technology bridges and empowers. Walking down the stairs, visitors are then welcomed by the Agora – an open space which derives its name from the Ancient Greek for ‘meeting point’ and would have been the centre of political, social, and commercial life in the city. The Agora is the centre of technology, the heart of the Microsoft office and a connection hub. Demonstration set-ups here are powered by Microsoft technology and showcase the meeting room of the future, the limitless capabilities of data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and modern work and business applications scenarios. A new room – The Pit – is a welcoming space that encourages discussion, ideation and evaluation of technology options. It fosters creative thinking in architecture design sessions, hands-on labs, hackathons and rapid prototyping. The layout of the room can also be changed depending on the type of session and the audience. The Envision Center has moved away from being a classic auditorium. Today it invites attendees to interact and engage, to step out of their comfort zones and to go beyond evolution, triggering real transformation and new outcomes. Throughout the MTC, versatile cubes add to the smart and extensible design. They can be transformed into dozens of shapes that can serve any purpose: a table to work at, a high- top table for lunch, a snug seat, an inspiring demo stand and many more. They can also be utilised to quickly set up socially distanced spaces, allowing us to welcome customers in person, in a safe and secure way. In these demanding times, the MTC Brussels is ready to support and accelerate customers’ digitisation journeys and help them face today’s challenges. The new facility is different – designed for transformation. It brings both in-person and virtual sessions to the next level, giving customers an astonishing experience. Myriam Broeders is the director of MTC Brussels “The mission of MTCs is to empower digital transformation and business outcomes through immersive experiences and deep technical engagements” Photo: David Barbe