Photo: © Studio Farris Architects
Photo: Ilse Liekens
Photo: © Studio Farris Architects
Photo: Tim Van de Velde
Designing wisely in Antwerp and beyond TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE
With their award-winning design of the Park Tower, Antwerp-based Studio Farris Architects have continued to add impetus to the thriving city while carving out their own identity as a young studio. Prioritising outdoor spaces for all, ample bicycle parking, and a striking visual aesthetic, Park Tower embodies the lively nature and sustainable attitude of Antwerp and its residents. 18 | Issue 30 | June 2016
Designed as an update of classic highrises from days gone by, the awardwinning design by Studio Farris Architects stretches 78 metres over 20 floors to create 360 commodious housing units, while the ground floor is reserved for commercial use. The city’s objective, explains the lead architect behind the design, had been to rejuvenate the cityscape with uniformity and colour. Duly taking cues from this brief, Studio Farris’
design unites formal simplicity with rich materiality: “We wanted people to say ‘it’s a fresh tower – and a fresh way to start the morning’,” he continues. Its low-energy, high-sustainability approach has seen a buzz grow around the gleaming white tower, which is close to both the old town and the regenerated harbour area in the northern quarter of the city. To top it off, each apartment or studio