Harbour Building Antwerp
Wilmarsdonksteenweg, Antwerp 2021 - 2023
In the port of Antwerp, situated between a busy traffic artery and sites reserved for port activities, a compact tower with a striking silhouette is rising.
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The building will house the facility services of the Port of Antwerp Bruges.
In plan, a radical division has been made between served and servant spaces. A backbone with stairs, shafts, technical areas, passenger lifts and heavy freight lifts is set against a volume with open spaces for ateliers and offices.
The backbone has robust, almost completely closed facades reminiscent of industrial silos. The facades of the served spaces are open, referencing daylight factories and workshops.
Overhead, an open canopy structure marks another space: a green outdoor space connects to the company restaurant. Here, at the highest point, one can escape the immediate context and enjoy vistas of the industrial spectacle of the harbour landscape.
Stacking in the harbour
The port of Antwerp seems seemingly endless and vast, but free space is also very scarce here. Every square metre counts.
Instead of organising the programme horizontally, studios next to offices, we choose to stack the programme.
The functional backbone serves the open floors.
Industrial lifts, sufficiently load-bearing structures and smart technical installations allow space to be gained.
The building is designed to be more robust than a lightweight shed at ground level, making it reusable to other functions such as offices.
The industrial silhouette of the project is crowned with a roof garden that benefits from its elevated position and offers panoramic views over the harbour.
