On the plots of land belonging to the former slaughterhouse in Antwerp's Dam district, a master plan for a new part of the city is unfolding. On the first building block of the site, Robbrecht en Daem designed 3 residential buildings (out of a total of 8).
Despite the differences between the three buildings in terms of location and orientation, they share a strong formal language. With a concrete plinth, saw-tooth roofs, flat brick façades alternating with multi-layered façade surfaces and a material palette of soft colours with small accents, they evoke memories of earlier urban industrial buildings. A horizontal line by means of a narrow terrace strip brings the façades in line and contributes to quality outdoor spaces for the apartments.
The compact urban living is given its quality by the generous provision of windows and the raising of this living space to one and a half meters above street level. The outdoor passerelles and the direct contact with the inner garden - which contains a number of common functions such as the atelier, birthday pavilion, conservatory, laundry rooms, etc. - contribute to a great deal of social interaction within the larger whole.
The alleys, so-called carriage gates, in the three buildings allow passers-by views of the courtyard gardens and also ensure easy access for residents. The buildings find their addresses and entrances in these passages. The south side of the block strengthens the commercial offer in the Kalverwei neighbourhood by providing the ground floor with as many commercial functions as possible. The head of this building block also marks the beginning of the future city park.
For the dwellings within these buildings, varied housing typologies offer an answer to both site-specific preconditions and the demand for a diverse range of housing. All the buildings contain smaller to larger dwellings, from maisonettes and studios to corner flats, floor-through units and mezzanine dwellings for families, the latter being located under the roof with generous terraces.
Tags
Client
Triple Living
Architects
Robbrecht en Daem architecten (A-gebouwen), De Smet Vermeulen architecten (C-gebouwen, ondergrond en coördinatie), OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen (B-gebouwen)
Program
Residential and commercial functions
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
Date
2018–…
Status
Ongoing
Floor Area
8.000 m2 above ground, 6.000 m2 below ground.
Team
Paul Robbrecht, Hilde Daem, Johannes Robbrecht, Mohamad Al Kour, Tine Bulckaen, Florence Daem, Georges De Belder, Valerie De Ketelaere, Charles De Muynck, Margarida Esteves, Lisa Franke, Trice Hofkens, Ken Standaert, Natalija Stojić, Frédéric Timmermans, Duarte Miranda, Kim Poorters, Mieke Van der Linden, Ines Verbiese, César Watterlot
Masterplan
Palmbout Urban Landscapes, Feddes/Olthof Landschapsarchitecten, De Smet Vermeulen architecten, Goudappel Coffeng
Structural Engineering
Arcade groep
Services Engineering
CES nv
Acoustics
Venac
Landscape
Posad Maxwan
Developer
Triple Living nv
