Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau

Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, FacadeKoning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Interior Photography, Glass, ConcreteKoning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Glass, Facade, ConcreteKoning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Interior Photography, Glass, Facade, ConcreteKoning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - More Images+ 21

Antwerpen, Belgium
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  4671
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2020
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Bart Kiggen
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Reynaers Aluminium, Lift-it, PBA, Recticel, SVK
  • Design Team: Jan De Loof, Nils Gaethofs
  • Clients: ISTATE
  • Stability: Ingenieursbureau J.Meijer
  • Energy : Xenadvies
  • Techniques: Vinco Engineering
  • Security: Eddy Henskens
  • City: Antwerpen
  • Country: Belgium
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Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Facade

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

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
Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Image 25 of 26
Plan
Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Exterior Photography, Facade

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

“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

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
© Bart Kiggen

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
Section
Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau - Image 26 of 26
Plan

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
© Bart Kiggen

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

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Project location

Address:Twee Netenstraat 64/66, 2060 Antwerpen, Belgium

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
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Cite: "Koning Noord Apartment Building / META architectuurbureau" 11 Dec 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/953029/koning-noord-apartment-building-meta-architectuurbureau> ISSN 0719-8884

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