Located between the Antwerpse Scheldekaaien, the Namenstraat, the Jan van Gentstraat, the Brusselstraat and the Ring, Nieuw Zuid stretches from the Scheldt to Konijnenwei. Since the port's activities moved away in the 1960s, this area has largely been abandoned. The opening of the new Palace of Justice and the renovation of the former train station by the Bank of Breda in 2006 were the first interventions on the site.
The ambition for the development of Nieuw Zuid is to create a mixed-use district with emphasis on housing, but with sufficient shops, public facilities and offices to create a lively neighbourhood. A varied range of larger and smaller homes should be appealing to families with children as well as senior citizens and people living alone.
The concept starts from the biggest volume possible, in which different interventions introduce the different elements from the masterplan.
In the first instance, an inner garden is carved out the volume. The entrances are arranged around this inner garden, creating in this way a lively inner area that functions as a recognisable and central entrance zone to the building. A meandering hallway accentuates these entrances and provides the opportunity to take a breath. The large rest areas at the ends of the corridor bring in daylight and serve as an orientation point for visitors. A passageway across the courtyard connects the squares on the north and south sides of the building block.
The volume is then lowered at strategic places to optimise sunlight. The shadow in the courtyard is limited and the slenderness of the beam volumes is emphasised.
In addition, the architecture of the main outer corner focuses on transparency and lightness. In the inner corner, on the other hand, a sunken garden is laid out to bring natural light to the underground utility areas.
