Casino Middelkerke wins International Architecture Prize 2022
About
The prestigious International Architecture Award 2022 has been awarded to the event building - or new casino building - of Middelkerke. The International Architecture Awards are the oldest and most prestigious global awards in the field of building. They are awarded annually by the Chicago Athenaeum, Museum of Architecture and Design, together with The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and are considered to be leading in architecture.
The assignment to design a new event building on the coast at Middelkerke and simultaneously reinforce the existing sea dike was approached from the perspective of the original landscape. The design adds a new dune landscape to the existing coast. A striking building will rise in the heart of the area, standing as a new beacon by the sea. The event building Middelkerke will house a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, a multifunctional event space and an underground car park, which will provide a car-free zone at street level. In addition to strengthening the seawall and car-free zone, the design also contributes to improving the public space, by merging the boulevard and the Epernayplein.
New public space
The design creates an extensive public space with the existing Epernayplein as its centre. The dyke will be moved further into the sea, allowing for an extension of the Epernayplein, while integrating it into the landscape. An underground car park will provide a car-free zone. As a connection between the city, the square and the beach, a large artificial dune is built, housing the casino, the public hall for exhibitions and concerts and a restaurant. Marram grass, water features and sand channels leading to the beach simulate a dune experience. The new public space, with its climb to the green square on top of the dune, is a tourist attraction in itself. There, connected to the event building, you will also find the beach hotel, with an open grid of curved beams of accoya wood. The entire design optimises the processes of energy supply, waste processing and production, and applies reusable materials wherever possible.
Jean-Marie Dedecker, Mayor of Middelkerke, thinks the award for the Middelkerke events building is fantastic. "The presentation of the International Architecture Award proves that two years ago we chose the best proposal. The sober, intuitive design immediately appealed to our selection committee of various experts. The unanimous choice then is now reinforced by this award. You also felt that the construction team did their homework more than carefully and came up with a sustainable and stylishly designed building. Meanwhile, the construction of this eye-catcher for our municipality has started. We can't wait for the new events building to crank up the experience in our municipality like a flywheel! I would like to congratulate the building team, the designers and the contractors on winning this award."
Source: Krant van West-Vlaanderen, 22 August 2022
Other interesting articles
Thinking of others during the holiday season
With the acquisition of Van Looy Group and Exilab, VK architects+engineers is further specializing in logistics and lab projects.
