After forty years of intensive use these sheltered workshops had reached the end of their usefulness and no longer satisfied the present-day needs and standards. For this reason the client chose to thoroughly redefine the business. The well being of the employees was central to this brief.
The decision was taken to tear down a small, unused annex and replace it with a new volume that would contain all required services such as a second staircase, an elevator and sanitation. In this way the workfloors and the main building would be effected as little as possible.
The warehouse occupies the ground floor, workshops the first and second, and canteen, changing rooms and offices the top floor. This last level offers a great view over the skyline of Antwerp. To upgrade the working environment large terraces were provided and – last but not least – two boules pitches on the rooftop. In summer the building maintains a comfortable temperature by the means of natural night cooling.
The artist Perry Roberts provided the workshops with colors and numbers, which made a contribution towards the legibility of the spaces.
‘Monumenten en welstandsprijs 2006 Antwerpen’, 2° prize
Nominated for the ‘Eco-domus Prijs Vlaamse Gemeenschap’ 2005
Included in the Architecture in Flanders Yearbook 2004 - 2005.
usable floor area: 4000 m²
design: 2002 - 2003
construction: 2003 - 2004
