This project is located near the regenerated south dock area of Antwerp. The building consists of a deep ground level, with 3 apartments and one duplex above. There is an extension to an adjacent pharmacy on the ground level.
The building is defined by a generous ground floor in keeping with the mansions in the immediate vicinity. The transparency of the ground level is continued on the upper levels. All apartments are equipped with wall to wall folding windows enabling a greater connection between inside and out, ideal in good weather. Each floor is fitted with translucent sun-screens. These are made in stretched-metal and run over the 4 levels of the façade, with fixed panels acting as protective barriers. The openable sections open across the full width. The duplex apartment is situated over the top two levels with both a front and rear terrace.
The extension of the pharmacy resulted in more than double the square metres of the original plan enabling a new store concept to take shape. The pharmacy consists of 2 parts; a customer zone, where shoppers can peruse the stock in their own time, and an ‘over the counter’ zone, where the pharmacist and his staff can take care of medical prescriptions. The two zones are located in the existing building and the extension respectively. The customer zone was envisaged as a fully white space, bright and transparent, whilst the ‘over the counter’ zone was conceived as a black background, the combination of both lending an air of theatricality to the overall space.
The public zone was envisaged as an open space that guided the flow of customers. This is achieved through the form and positioning of furniture within this space, enabling order of service in combination with product display. To the rear of the pharmacy we have a multi-functional zone that operates as an office, reception and presentation space.
useable surface: 674 m² (4 apartments)
commercial surface: 230 m²
design: 2003 - 2005
realised: 2007
