In the context of the urban renewal policy of the city of Ostend, two competitions were launched by the AGSO to select a private partner for the full reconversion and development of a new multifunctional city part on the maritime site Oosteroever. NV Oosteroever, in collaboration with CONIX RDBM Architects, won both competitions. With this prestigious project, CONIX RDBM Architects designs the largest development in years on the Belgian coast. The total surface above-ground is 120.000 m², resulting in 1.200 apartments. This qualitative residential development will transform the eastern part of Ostend. Through the combination of the unique maritime location and daring architecture, the new, hypermodern waterfront city on Oosteroever will become the area to live, work and relax on a stone’s throw from the centre of Ostend. In this area the soul of the harbor area will respectfully be preserved. In synergy with the different above-ground volumes, much attention will be paid to the creation of green areas, broad shopping esplanades of 10m in width in combination with high-end commercial spaces in central areas. Underground parking for the inhabitants will limit the number of vehicles on the site as much as possible. We will start with the redevelopment and reconversion of the dock blocks and the first building blocks of the industrial grid demarcated by the Baelskaai and the Fortstraat. The first high-rise tower, ‘named Baelskaai 12’, will contain 49 apartments and 14 levels. In dialogue with the adjacent buildings, the composition of the façade starts rather sober and becomes more dynamic as it increases in height. From the upper levels, the tower gets more free space and the composition becomes more dynamic. This creates a certain dynamism with a striking sculptural effect as a result. We take advantage of this concept to create spacious terraces and to develop a large variation in apartments. The façade will be made out of architectonic white polished concrete, adding a long-lasting fresh colour to the street view. The first tower will be developed as an icon in order to breathe new life into the site and to create a boost for the entire area. Our aim is to make a statement on this unique location and take a new step in the conversion of Oosteroever into a worthy city part. The water will no longer act as the edge of the city, but as the centre of the new dynamic area.

For more information about the project, please visit www.oosteroever.be.

Visualisation © CONIX RDBM Architects

The redevelopment of the Oosteroever dock area is one of the biggest residential construction projects to have ever been undertaken in Belgium. Restaurants, cafés, boutiques and art galleries will transform the area into a bustling quarter, within walking distance of the centre of Ostend, the beach and the dunes. The overall plan involves the construction of no fewer than 1,200 new apartments in total. The tall apartment block Baelskaai 12, designed by CONIX RDBM Architects, consists of 49 apartments divided over 14 storeys and is the absolute eye-catcher in this prestigious project. All apartments have an outdoor space of minimally twenty square metres and impressive views of the dunes and North Sea.

Post-stressed concrete

One of the most remarkable characteristics of the tower block is that the floor area increases on the higher floors. The floor area of the top floor is over 800 square metres. The concrete structure consists of a load-bearing core with projecting floor plates and terraces. The wall is not load-bearing. Because of the big cantilevered terraces, the floor plates will be post-stressed with steel cables, a technique also used in bridges.

For Baelskaai 12, Reynaers Aluminium developed a custom sliding window CP 130-LS with an airtightness, watertightness and wind-load resistance category suitable for high-rise buildings situated right on the coastline. For instance, the watertightness category of the sliding window system was increased to 750 Pa.

Sky-high swimming

The use of post-stressed floor plates offers maximum freedom of configuration of the apartments. The biggest apartment, on the top floor, will have a terrace of 173 m2 with clamped glass balustrade. The building has a very luxurious feel, not only because of the panoramic views and aesthetics but also because of the façade finishes in white polished architectural concrete or the wooden terrace floors. Two apartments, on the eleventh and fourteenth floor, have their own swimming pool. The biggest will be 7.7 metres long. Both pools will be finished with a glass side wall that is 15 cm thick and unbreakable.