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Architects: dmvA
- Area: 856 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Sergio Pirrone
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Lead Architects: Tom Verschueren, David Driesen
Text description provided by the architects. In one of the main roads to the historic center of Mechelen, dmvA designed a new building with six apartments. The project responds to the urban historic context characterized by 19th-century houses, narrow lots, and the presence of canals. For decades, developers have been struggling with the undeveloped terrain along the Sint-Katelijnestraat.
The historical surroundings, the small scale, the irregular plot, and the location next to a covered canal were often breaking points to realizing a feasible development. 'In de Stad' is a contemporary yet honest answer to the developer's request to build as many residential units as possible on a small undeveloped spot. The result is a sustainable, timeless, and small-scale infill project that subtly nestles into the historic urban fabric.
The canal at the back of the plot determined the footprint of the project: the new volume takes the shape of the deep buildings that once were built along the canal, thus restoring the historic fabric. The building is a modest interpretation of the two historic houses with stepped gables on the other side of the street.
The six NZE apartments are designed in such a way that it is comfortable to live in the middle of the city by preserving privacy, creating quality outdoor spaces, double-height rooms, panoramic views, and a semi-public outdoor space that encourages social contact. The bicycle shed along the semi-public outdoor space is conceived as a 'gallery' to stimulate social contact between the residents. It can also be used flexibly as a covered outdoor area for children to play. A passage connects the semi-public outdoor space with the street.
