![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9ca6/63c0/17e8/4500/00e7/newsletter/FI.jpg?1607572623)
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Architects: META architectuurbureau
- Area: 4671 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Bart Kiggen
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Manufacturers: Reynaers Aluminium, Lift-it, PBA, Recticel, SVK
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9e91/63c0/1772/8600/00f6/medium_jpg/META_Appartementen_Koning_Noord_Antwerpen_Foto_7_©_Filip_Dujardin.jpg?1607573109)
Text description provided by the architects. In the Slachthuis district in Antwerp, META has completed the Koning Noord apartment building: a project with 26 houses, a crèche and a workspace. Commissioned by ISTATE, META designed 2 volumes in raw concrete, connected them with a plinth around an inner garden and finished the building with gold-coloured anodised aluminium joinery and balustrades.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9ffa/63c0/1772/8600/0101/newsletter/META_Koning_Noord_Foto_15_ИFilip_Dujardin.jpg?1607573476)
By prioritising rigorous rationality in both concept and execution, META makes room for the design of a generous building. Koning Noord consists of 2 buildings: a volume on the street side that completes the facade row of the Twee Netenstraat and – lying deep on the plot – a second volume that also connects to the adjacent buildings. The 2 volumes are linked on the ground floor by a continuous plinth that folds around the inner garden.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Interior Photography, Glass, Facade, Concrete](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9e08/63c0/1772/8600/00f2/medium_jpg/META_Appartementen_Koning_Noord_Antwerpen_Foto_5_©_Filip_Dujardin.jpg?1607572976)
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Image 25 of 26](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9f22/63c0/17e8/4500/00f7/medium_jpg/1406twe_vo_20200831_grondplan_niveau_0_A3P.jpg?1607573271)
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9e42/63c0/17e8/4500/00f1/medium_jpg/META_Appartementen_Koning_Noord_Antwerpen_Foto_6_©_Filip_Dujardin.jpg?1607573027)
The roof of this plinth is used as an intensive green roof and forms, in addition to the inner garden, a second horizontal green area. There is underground parking for 37 cars and a shed for 83 bicycles. The more public functions can be found on the ground floor: the crèche, which is accessible from the courtyard garden and the workspace.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Interior Photography, Glass, Concrete](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9fc1/63c0/17e8/4500/00fd/newsletter/META_Koning_Noord_Foto_14_ИFilip_Dujardin.jpg?1607573419)
“The idiosyncratic volumetric is the consequence of the exceptional neighbouring buildings. A ground-floor plinth stretches around a collective inner garden and connects both volumes.” – Niklaas Deboutte, META architectuurbureau Typological plan ensures quality and affordability The flats are located in the 2 volumes.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Interior Photography, Facade, Concrete](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9d93/63c0/1772/8600/00ef/newsletter/META_Appartementen_Koning_Noord_Antwerpen_Foto_4_©_Filip_Dujardin.jpg?1607572858)
There are 4 types of flats per floor which are repeated on each level. Only the top floor on the street side deviates from this typological plan in order to create 2 duplex flats with spacious roof terraces. “The project offers affordable, contemporary housing tailored to a neighbourhood in full development. Even before the works began, the project was completely sold out.” – Bert Craeghs, ISTATE The maximum repetition of a typological plan has many technical advantages and increases the logic and thus the affordability of the design.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Interior Photography](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9cda/63c0/1772/8600/00e9/newsletter/1406twe_META_BartKiggen_01__DSF1176-bewerkt.jpg?1607572651)
The window openings and terraces, which are visibly positioned below each other, create a neutral architecture. Finally, the structure was designed to allow sufficient flexibility for possible future changes in the layout of the flats. Grey concrete finished with gold-coloured terraces and balustrades Each flat has two large windows.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Image 22 of 26](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9e20/63c0/1772/8600/00f4/newsletter/1406twe_vo_20200831_doorsnede_H_A3P.jpg?1607573016)
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Image 26 of 26](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9d66/63c0/17e8/4500/00eb/newsletter/1406twe_vo_20200831_doorsnede_E_A3P.jpg?1607572825)
By grouping the open and closed facade surfaces, the concrete could be cast on site using plank formwork – traditionally an expensive construction method – while remaining feasible within the strict financial outlines of this project. The raw, grey concrete is finished with gold-coloured anodised aluminium elements in the terraces, the joinery, the balustrades,.. “The use of concrete with plank formwork makes the project exceptional.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Interior Photography, Wood](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9d10/63c0/1772/8600/00eb/newsletter/1406twe_META_BartKiggen_02_EEN0236-bewerkt.jpg?1607572704)
In order to make this implementation possible within the budget, the facade design was rationalised to the ultimate extent.” - Eric Soors, META architectuurbureau Structural work is finishing work’ with a carefully detailed carcass Inside, META applied the ‘structure as finishing’ principle that is characteristic of their work: detailing the carcass with care. In combination with strict site control, this results in a building with its very own character.
![Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5fd1/9c8c/63c0/1772/8600/00e7/medium_jpg/META_Appartementen_Koning_Noord_Antwerpen_Foto_2_©_Filip_Dujardin.jpg?1607572596)