Vilvoorde is a Flemish city with 44,000 inhabitants. Lying on the edge of the Brussels-Capital Region, it benefits from its central location without the cosmopolitan edge of Brussels itself.

The official language is Dutch, but there is a French-speaking minority too. The nickname for inhabitants of Vilvoorde is Pjeirrefretters (horse eaters) — and indeed: horse steak is still on the menu of most traditional restaurants.

Dating back to the early 1970s, the building has two floors, built in traditional masonry with a slate roof.