Prof. Roger Boltshauser
Visiting Studio of Architectural Design
Spring Semester 2022, Third Master Semester
The Europark is located on the left bank of the Scheldt in the western part of Antwerp. The area is characterized by a fragmented and mono-functional residential structure, buildings of different sizes, and numerous large green spaces and skyscrapers. The main issues with the area go beyond urban planning, and also include social and cultural issues. There is a lack of community and urban facilities, and the green space lacks structure and feels disconnected. A solution is needed for the busy Charles de Costerlaan axis, which divides the Europark into north and south. Our urban development solution offers an alternative to strict modernist cityscapes and area-wide redensification approaches.
The new «Snake» features large structures that run through the area, and the Charles de Costerlaan is lifted to create a green center that connects the north and south of the area and the neighborhood to the bank of the Schelde. The landscape plays a pivotal role, and the existing open spaces are set and shaped in a new context. The new urban building blocks create a new identity and address for the Europark and beyond, inviting residents and visitors to engage with the green space.
The traditional concepts of urban living and the domestic are becoming outdated and need to be transformed. This transformation should also involve a new way of living together, with increased interaction and mixing among residents, which will be facilitated by the iconic urban building blocks.
The building is located on the newly designed central axis, which has been rerouted to accommodate a new public transport network and features abundant landscaping. The volume is orthogonal to the «Snake» master plan concept and interlocks with it. The new route of the «Snake» runs through the ground floor in the west, resulting in a structural change. The bulkhead structure is broken at this point, with re-used concrete piers from the harbor and massive concrete girders taking over the load and directing it into the ground. The more than 150-meter-long volume has a north-south orientation, which favors through-floor flats accessed via arcades. Maisonette flats are located on the remaining ground floor. The housing plan also includes multi-story flats, and the top floor (4th floor) includes flats for large households or shared flats.
There are communal spaces between these flats, and the arcades evolve from being just an access zone to a meeting zone that encourages mixing and interaction. The communal spaces culminate in the semi-public roof area, which is used for various activities and infrastructure. The traditional distinction between what is public and what is private becomes blurred, and a gradient of spaces is created where the urban and the domestic are not clearly demarcated but rather co-exist as public programs are developed within the apartment block, bringing the urban realm into the residential building and changing its paradigm. This experimental approach can be adapted from the new volume to the existing panes, including the vertical integration of semi-public/communal spaces into the existing slice structure up to the roof space, to improve the quality of the existing building.
