With its 123 apartments residential building ‘De Schicht’ acts as a 200-metre long sound barrier for residential area ‘De Esch’. The light, double height galleries with their fair-face brickwork are accessible through two elevators at the main entrances and two stairwells at the ‘head’ and ‘tail’ of the block.
A former conversion had left the entrance-halls, hidden behind heavy brick columns, dark and cluttered. The new freestanding letterboxes and glass façade have been placed further to the outside to create an open and recognizable entrance. The brickwork skirting continues in the interior through the use of sculptural masonry: a durable solution benefiting the acoustics as well as preventing vandalism. The comfortable ambience echoes the character of the upper galleries.
Both stairwells, frequently used by the owners, were equipped with closed steel façade panels and therefore devoid of daylight. By replacing this façade with self-supporting glass channels loitering teens feel spied upon. Consequently misbehaviour is something of the past. At night the stairwells illuminate from inside: the well-balanced lighting provides the existing building with an attractive ‘head’ and ‘tail’ thereby increasing public security while at the same time rendering the entrance to ‘De Esch’ a new élan.
