Apartments and Offices Tower, Park Tower by Studio Farris
13/07/2015.
[Antwerp] Belgium
metalocus, SILVIA BATRES
metalocus, SILVIA BATRES
Park Tower, one of the last project built by Studio Farris Architects. Park Tower combine the commercial program, on the ground floor of the tower, with housing/rooms in the upper 20 floors, and care facilities for elderly people.
Overview. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet. Click above to see larger image.
Overview. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Outside view. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Facade detail. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Facade detail. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Facade detail. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Terrace. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Facade. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Facade. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet. Click above to see larger image.
Glass facade. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet. Click above to see larger image.
Facade detail. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet. Click above to see larger image.
Location. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Click above to see larger image.
South facade. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Click above to see larger image.
Section. Park Tower by Studio Farris.
Outside view. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet.
Overview. Park Tower by Studio Farris. Photograph © Lumecore/Toon Grobet. Click above to see larger image.
Studio Farris project the tower in a unique location, very clote to the new MAS museum, the harbor district ‘Eilandje’, the waterfront beside the river Scheldt and the historic Antwerp center. The project also is integrated into the strategic development project that is aimed to transform the northern quarters of the city.
Description of the project by Studio Farris
With a total height of 78 meters, the Park Tower is now one of the highest buildings in Antwerp and therefore plays an important role in reshaping its skyline. The strikingly bright white exterior turns the tower into an attention-grabbing beacon that stands out as a landmark for the entire district. Located along one of Antwerp's most important roads, the tower acts as a gateway when entering the city.
The main goal for the project was to maximise flexibility, making the building sustainable and able to host differente functions over time. Today, the tower hosts commercial spaces on the ground floor and 360 habitation units. Offering studios and apartments in different sizes and with care facilities, the project responds to today's growing need for comfortable living space for single-person households, senior citizens, students, young couples and expats.
Each studio or apartment has a private terrace. To be able to use these terraces in a comfortable way, a particular wind protection concept was conceived by the architects. The effectiveness of this concept was then calculated and approved at the Technical University of Eindhoven. The glass panels are randomly placed, in order to reduce the wind discomfort to an absolute minimum, even at high altitude. This allowed to develop a playful, layered façade with a fascinating dynamic of constantly changing light and shadow. The double façade also protects privacy and reduces vertigo.
Text.- Studio Farris
CREDITS. TECHNICAL DATA.-
Architect.- Studio Farris.
Executive architect.- ELD partnership.
Developer.- Sea Coast nv.
Structural, technical engineering.- ELD engineering.
Contractor.- Besix nv.
Area.- Above grade.- 20.000 sqm, below grade.- 13.000 sqm, terraces.- 4.250 sqm.
Location.- Antwerp, Belgium.
Date.- Completed, 2014.
More information
STUDIO FARRIS
Studio Farris Architects is an architectural practice based in Antwerp, Belgium and founded by Italian architect Giuseppe Farris in 2008. The studio’s goal is to discover the intrinsic potential in every project, questioning the obvious, exploring the surroundings and cultural heritage. This always while looking for harmony between sustainability and innovation, functionality and experience, ratio and feeling. The building’s users play a fundamental role in the conception of the architecture.
Giuseppe Farris was born on November 11, 1972 in Cagliari, Italy. After attending secondary school, he got his master in architecture at the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) in Venice.
In 2001 he moves to Belgium and from then he works on various projects in cooperation with Jo Crepaim. In 2008 he founds Giuseppe Farris Architects in Antwerp of which he is currently the managing director and lead architect. In 2009 he wins the competition for the refurbishment of the entrance hall of the Flemish Parliament in Brussels. After the completion in 2010, he was nominated for the Dutch Lai Award. The renovation of the city hall of Leuven, to host new spaces for Belgium’s public broadcasting company VRT, started in 2010 and was finished in 2012. In early 2015, he was nominated for the WAN 21 for21 Award (London), and shortly thereafter he won the Architizer A+ Award (New York) for the Park Tower.
