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Architects: Studio Farris Architects
- Area: 37250 m²
- Year: 2014
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Manufacturers: Zoontjens
Text description provided by the architects. The Park Tower, a project by Studio Farris Architects and ELD partnership, is situated in a unique location within walking distance from the new MAS museum, the harbor district ‘Eilandje’, the waterfront beside the river Scheldt and the historic city center. The project is integrated into the strategic development project that is aimed to transform the northern quarters of the city and will play a connecting role between parts of the city that have been remodeled earlier.
With a total height of 78 meters, the Park Tower is now one of the highest buildings in Antwerp. The strikingly bright white exterior turns the tower into an attention-grabbing beacon that stands out as a landmark for the entire district.
The ingenious patchwork of glass façade panels that shelter the terraces from the wind add a playful, layered effect highlighted by a fascinating dynamic of light and shadow. The tower is a vertical reflection of a classic urban street: from the ground floor which has a commercial function the tower literally stacks up to host different habitation styles in the 20 higher stories.
The tower comprises 360 habitation units, totaling a capacity to house 800 city inhabitants. The first 10 floors are made up of 160 studios and 80 student rooms. This way the project offers an answer to the growing need for comfortable living space for single-person households, students, young couples and expats. On the next 10 floors we find 115 habitation units with 1 or 2 bedrooms and elderly care facilities.
From the main entrance of the ground floor, the different groups of inhabitants can reach their own floors using separate elevator batteries. Mobility-wise, the tower offers underground parking space for 280 cars and 800 bicycles.
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 façade that changes with the continuous play of light and shadow. The double façade also protects privacy and reduces vertigo.
