In the Wilrijk district of Antwerp, a new fire station by Dutch architects Happel Cornelisse Verhoeven announces itself with bold use of color, graphical text, and a stacking form that reinforces the building’s function.
Manned 24/7, the station houses fire and ladder trucks on the ground floor with an office and living/sleeping quarters stacked on top in a manner that decreases proportionally with height.
The corner roof tower, housing technical function, pays note to the building’s function with large white painted letters. The concept was designed by graphic designer Reynoud Homan, who subtly adapted the letter font ‘Universe’ by Adrian Frutiger. The lettering creates a recognizable identity in the neighbourhood, while serving as a reminder of the building’s function and the urgency of its users.
The pilaster facades are clad with red-glazed brick, switching from larger to smaller formats. The glazed brick is interrupted with red-painted cordon bands and purple window frames.
The building is made of a hybrid supporting structure with a central staircase that connects the different floors and affords smooth internal circulation.
The ground floor and garage with workspaces were finely tuned in terms of the program and constructed in concrete for optimal functionality and robustness. Upstairs, offices and living areas have a more domestic feeling and are made of CLT.
The use of CLT provides a moisture-regulating effect and therefore has a positive impact on the indoor climate and energy consumption. Further environmental measures adopted include a solar boiler, heat pump, solar panels on the roof and various techniques to collect rain and fire extinguishing water.
