Agrotopia by META architectuurbureau and van Bergen Kolpa architects – a new-build greenhouse with a 9,500m2 research centre and visitor facilities on an existing warehouse roof – has received widespread international press coverage.
The Agrotopia rooftop greenhouse is featured in the following titles, amongst others: Architectural Record and The Architect’s Newspaper (both New York), d’A (France), Space Magazine (South Korea), The Plan (Italy) and Av Arquitectura (Spain).
About Agrotopia rooftop greenhouse
Agrotopia is a public building dedicated to urban food production. It is constructed on the roof of the REO Veiling headquarters: the logistic heart of West Flanders for fruit and vegetables. In the 9,500 m2 building, high-tech research facilities for the cultivation of fruit and leafy vegetables are surrounded by an educational trail for the public. The architecture is composed of a slender greenhouse construction that stands out against the sky and rests on the concrete base of the crate sheds. The entrance, with a broad ascending staircase, leads to the urban horticulture square in the heart of the building where the visitor facilities are located. A double-height greenhouse for innovative vertical cultivation can be found in the façade greenhouse along the ring road. The foot of the latter stores the rainwater from the roof, which is then used to irrigate the crops.
Agrotopia is one of the Flemish Government Architect’s ‘Pilot Projects for a Productive Landscape’ (PPPL).