shigeru ban kicks off works on belgium's first wood residential tower

‘ban’ residential project kicks off

Antwerp‘s growing neighborhood of Nieuw Zuid will soon become the site of BAN, a residential project by Shigeru Ban. Construction of the timber-hybrid building has just broken ground on November 24th, which the Japanese architect notes for its significance as a Taian Day (大安), a day of good luck and prosperity. Shigeru Ban arrived in Antwerp in time for the kick-off event, planting a Ginkgo Biloba, or ‘wishing tree’ which is said to be symbolic of hope, prosperity, and long-life.

images courtesy Triple Living

japanese-style homes and serene gardens in antwerp

The Antwerp project, designed by Shigeru Ban in collaboration with Bureau Bouwtechniek, comprises a twenty-five story tower alongside a secondary building which, together, will introduce 295 homes to the Belgian city. Built largely of timber, the architecture draws inspiration from the heritage of the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s studio, especially with its Japanese-style courtyard garden. This serene space will cover six thousand square meters (64,500 square feet), and will be filled with landscaping designed by Bas Smets, a Brussels-based landscape architect known for his plant-decor surrounding Notre-Dame in Paris.

‘I wanted to create a place where people can unwind,’ Shigeru Ban says of the garden space. ‘A green environment is relaxing. In Japan, we have a term for that: shinrin-yoku. Relax by immersing yourself in greenery.‘

shigeru ban’s design of timber, concrete, and steel

The design of Belgium’s first wooden residential tower showcases Shigeru Ban’s ‘signature lines’ in its facades, which the team describes as a ‘true statement.’ All apartments are flooded with light and ensure the serene interior atmosphere which has come to be recognized as the architectural style of Shigeru Ban. These homes open out through large windows, gazing through balconies all the way toward the Scheldt River and Nieuw Zuid Park.

Constructed from a hybrid wood, concrete, and steel, the project steps toward a more environmentally sustainable solution over a purely concrete construction.