BUILDING Z FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP / DOMAIN

The University of Antwerp’s amalgamation of multiple institutions has resulted in four detached campuses and their distribution throughout the city has left the University without a true center or “heart”. If connected, the University stands to assert its presence throughout the entirety of Antwerp.

 

Given its prominent location, Building Z negotiates a void between two of UA’ s campuses and a proposed ecological zone; Building Z has the potential to catalyze a transformation far beyond the demands of the brief. Building Z is NOT solely a container for a lab, but a lab itself.

 

Dividing the specific functionsof each department into two towers that are linked both programmatically through sharedneeds and physically, via a learning bridge. The building therefore can perform as onemachine without sacrificing the unique demands of each user. The laboratory fosters a spirit of innovation that extends beyond the practical functions of the program it supports.