Sail Hybrid
Located on the North Sea Coast, the Belgian seaside resort town of Knokke-Heist required a renovation and transformation of their existing Casino. Following a request for proposals, five firms were shortlisted for an international design competition, including Herzog & de Meuron and Zaha Hadid Architects; with the jury unanimously selecting Steven Holl Architects Sail Hybrid design. With an enhanced program intended to provide an iconic landmark and bolster the towns stature and urban spaces, the project will transform the seaside resort into a premiere travel and architectonic destination. The new three-part hybrid transformation rebuilds one of Belgiums great architects fine works, becoming a glowing new beacon on the Atlantic wall and interconnecting the ensemble of city buildings in Knokke-Heist with new urban porosity.
The Sail Hybrid design was inspired by the Rene Magritte mural, The Ship Which Tells the Story to the Mermaid, one of eight original Surrealist masterpieces in the series called Le Domaine Enchanté, which was commissioned for the Casino in 1953. The Murals are housed in the Magritte Room, a Protected Monument located in the original Albert Place Casino built in 1930 by Leon Stynen. The Sail Hybrid concept expressly preserves the Magritte Room and restores the Stynen Casino facades. The mural inspired a hybrid transformation of the Casino into three architectures: Early Modern Restored Volumetric Architecture (white restored, reprogrammed Casino), a Porous Bridge Hybrid Architecture (perforated Congress Hall), and a Sail-like Planar Architecture (glass planes Hotel and Apartment Tower) to create a synergy of new functions.
The new design occupies the single point in Knokke-Heist coastline with an opening in the Atlantic Wall. The seaward orientation and resulting thin profile ensures unobstructed sea views for all tower residents and does not impinge on the views of the adjacent residential context. Porosity is achieved through the design of the Congress Hall curtain wall as well as the ground level of the Casino which opens to the sea on the north side, and continues through Congress hall to the south avenue facing entrance.
Priority was given to public areas including a spa, rooftop terrace, pool and restaurant which were located on the highest tower floors. Congress Hall includes another roof terrace, pool and café, accessible from both the exhibition and Casino areas. A predominantly pedestrian public space, Casino Square, paved in Belgian Bluestone and enhanced with landscaping and public art, fronts the boardwalk and creates a sense of place in the citys urban fabric.
The synergistic integration of various functions including dining, meeting, leisure and congress are combined in the program: Casino, flagship hotel, congress facilities, events hall, exhibition facilities, restaurant, café, Magritte room, nightclub, apartments, galleries, spa facility, retail and below ground automated parking are included in more than 71,000 square meters of area on 19 floors with two rooftop terraces and two pools.
Building materials include glass, steel and recycled terrazzo, glass aggregate and locally produced concrete. A geothermal energy plant under the parking garage, automated parking that eliminates theft, damage and emissions while maximizing capacity, and the use of a high performance curtain wall to provide insulation and control solar gain are implemented to achieve optimum sustainability. The restoration and re-use of the original Stynen Casino eliminates waste, minimizes demolition, manufacture and energy consumption.
Fact Sheet:
Approx. Overall Size: 71,000 mq
Building Height: 105 meters
Number of Floors 19
3 Architectures:Sail-Like Planar (Hotel and Apartment Tower); Volumetric (restored, reprogrammed Casino); Porous (Congress Hall)
Basement: 5 level Parking Garage, Mechanical Rooms, Storage
Ground Floor: Entrance Hall and Lobby for all programs, Casino, Retail, Café
First Floor: Magritte Room, Restaurant, Exhibition/Meeting Rooms, Casino Grand Jeux Room
Second Floor: Congress Hall, Break-out Rooms, 500 Seat Auditorium, Event Hall
Third-Seventh Floors: Hotel
Seventh Floor: Café, Bar with Terrace and Pool
Eighth-Sixteenth Floors: Housing
Thirteenth Floor: Public Observation Terrace
Seventeenth Floor: Restaurant
Eighteenth Floor: Thalasso Wellness Spa
Nineteenth Floor: Public Rooftop Terrace and Pool
Materials: Locally produced structural concrete cores and slabs, steel truss work, recycled terrazzo and recycled glass aggregate. Local Belgian Blue Stone for Casino Square paving (same material is used in seawall dyke)
EXISTING CASINO BUILDING: Original facades restored to Leon Stynen's 1930 design using new glass technologies. Magritte Room restored to original 1953 condition. Remainder of interior completely renovated for new programs.
SAIL BUILDING: High performance insulated structurally glazed curtain wall: semi-opaque white fixed panels with Okalux insulation, white interlayer and textured glass to soften reflection; clear flush-glazed operable vents.
POROUS BRIDGE BUILDING: Digitally perforated white metal cladding combination of rapid CNC punching and laser cutting outputs previously unattainable 'porosity' patterns with speed and a high degree of adaptability. This 'Porous' perforated material, wrapping the entire structure - over curtainwalls, roofing, skylights and soffits - produces the architectural affects for the 'bridge' piece of the three architectures.
Partner-in-Charge: Chris McVoy
Project Architect: Nick Gelpi
Assistant Project Architect: Noah Yaffe
Project Team: Young Jang, Richard Liu, Edward Lalonde, Alessandro Orsini
Local Architects: Buro 2 Hendrik Vermoortel, Rita Agneessens
Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates Nat Oppenheimer