Middelkerke, Belgium
Αrchitecture bureau ZJA and DELVA landscape architects, in collaboration with OZ and Bureau Bouwtechniek design an inspiring and principled venue building that combines coastal reinforcement, liveability and sustainability.
The design had to cater to reinforcing the sea embankment, improving public space by eliminating car traffic, and integrating the boulevard and Epernay square.
The heart of Middelkerke required revitalization to establish conditions that would appeal to both residents and tourists, aligning with modern preferences and needs for coastal living and leisure.
This called for a new layout of Epernay Square, becoming a car-free zone thanks to the planned underground parking garage, and seeing its surface doubled in size.
It connects it to the center and allows access by car while still giving most space to pedestrians and cyclists.
At least as important as the casino itself was the need for a multipurpose building, that could serve as a social and cultural meeting point for Middelkerke; a new living room for the town, to host conventions, exhibitions and concerts.
On top of that, the development of a hotel right on the beach would stimulate tourism.
In collaboration with OZ, DELVA Landscape Architects, and Bureau Bouwtechniek, ZJA has developed a design that skillfully blends the casino, hotel, and multipurpose hall into the distinctive dune landscape of West Flanders.
This project offered the opportunity to call to memory the history of Middelkerke as a thriving town on the medieval island of Testerep, halfway between Westende and Oostende.
And so it does by creating a space in the center of town that creates a renewed relationship with the landscape of dunes, beaches and gullies.
The venue building offers a contemporary way to experience the historic coastal landscape in the center of Middelkerke.
The sea embankment is reconstructed more towards the sea, creating extra space that offers an open view and breaking the monotony of the straight embankment.
This allowed for the Epernay square to be extended by a high artificial dune, on top of which a green square with ponds and fountains arises. This results in a natural and attractive place to linger, with views of the sea and direct access to the beach.
The multipurpose hall, the restaurant and the casino are built into the dune, but all have transparent facades and spectacular views.
Large terraces in front of the restaurant and the casino profit from this panorama.
The heart of the hotel tower consists of a high lobby that gives access to the multipurpose hall, the restaurant and the casino.
The Silt Middelkerke is a unique feature on the Flemish coast, in its confluence with the landscape and its sea view.
The artificial dune introduces the surrounding landscape and the gullies back into the center of town.
This “landscraper” combines a dune/square and the functions of the casino, multipurpose hall, and hotel with the open space of the beach.
This design adapts to the landscape in a contemporary way, never becoming cheap or loud.
The hotel of five floors with a breakfast room on the sixth floor is a striking yet modest volume on the beach.
It is an eye-catcher, but one that echoes the contained strength and austerity of the Flemish coastal landscape in its design.
Its shape is simple but mysterious, referring to the shapes and colors from nature or the fishing port.
The hardwood veil around the hotel will weather much like the wood in the quays, the doors of the locks, and the mooring posts.
A sophisticated lighting design built into the facade highlights the wooden structure after sundown.
By day and by night the building appears as a welcoming beacon, a sculpture with soft contours.
The design minimizes the use of energy and material in the building process, but the choice for more efficient production processes and the application of recycled material also make this a sustainable design.
Sustainability and environmental criteria are not an afterthought but of the same crucial order as safety, functionality, aesthetics, and economic value.
The artificial dune and the awning part of it near the terraces of the hotel and the casino are an energy-saving element. By offering shadow in summer and insulation during the winter.
The choice of wood, specifically cross-laminated timber, in the open casing around the hotel tower, saves enormous quantities of CO2, because it is a renewable and circular material.
Project: Silt Middelkerke
Architects: DELVA Landscape Architecture and architectural studio ZJA
Landscape Architects: DELVA Landscape Architecture & Urbanism
Execution Architects: Bureau Bouwtechniek
Hotel Design: OZ
Contractors: Democo and Furnibo
Client: Municipality of Middelkerke
Photographers: Stefan Steenkiste and Sebastian van Damme
