Politiekantoor
In order to raise the public visibility and lower the threshold of the police station in Hoboken, the building was moved to a central location on an elongated public square. On the deep, narrow parcel, De Smet Vermeulen architecten designed a station that is proportioned as an urban house, without a generic office façade. A higher, set-back volume on top was positioned to the left, seeking connection to the small apartment building. The roof terrace on the right reads in turn as a humble gesture towards the house on the right. The façade in a light blue glazed brick was conceived as a public moment in the street, with a clock and a canopy to open it up to the street. The gate and front door of the demolished house were recuperated and add a commonplace historical dimension to the façade of the building.
Composite Presence at Biennale Architettura 2021
This project is part of the exhibition Composite Presence in the Belgian pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
De Smet Vermeulen architecten: "The police station in Hoboken, Antwerp is located on a long square, in a very long row of buildings, with its façade design making it stand out in this row as a public service. Like our other project Apostelhuizen Studio, shown in Venice Biennale 2021, the station is nine-meters wide and three-storeys high. They both treat their height as an entity, avoiding trabeation or any sort of subdivision, in order to stand out in their streets as outspoken individuals, responding to their neighbors, but not imitating them. They are quite open to the street, frankly addressing it while retaining their individuality."
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