In the north of Antwerp, between the port, Doks and the course of the Scheldt river, the WKA Penthouse was built between 2019 and 2022 in one of two high-rise towers completed in 2009 by Swiss architects Diener & Diener. Apart from the load-bearing walls, the entire floor plan and all of the interior fittings were designed by the architecture firm led by Bruno Spaas. The Belgian architect is also the owner of the apartment.
In the north of Antwerp, between the port, Doks and the course of the Scheldt, the WKA Penthouse was built between 2019 and 2022 in one of two high-rise towers completed in 2009 by Swiss architects Diener & Diener. Apart from the load-bearing walls, the entire floor plan and all of the interior fittings were designed by the architecture firm led by Bruno Spaas. The Belgian architect is also the owner of the apartment.
At 350 square meters, the WKA Penthouse designed by Bruno Spaas extends over the entire top floor of the building with a panoramic view of the city. In fact, the view of Antwerp’s rooftops is the first perspective that opens up as you enter. Thanks to a large panoramic window facing south, the view can even be enjoyed from a centrally positioned bench. This effect of infinity, as in a modern hall of mirrors, is further enhanced by the mirrored ceiling and cupboard walls, which are visually aligned with the doors. In addition, large windows continue all the way around on both sides of the foyer.
From this entrance, the apartment opens out on both sides through double doors. The sequence of rooms can be accessed in both directions, as the living space is arranged in a ring around the building’s elevator and staircase shaft. However, the connecting doors also consist of large glass surfaces and can also be fully opened. This means that the entire WKA penthouse can be accessed without interruption, creating a feeling of spaciousness. Retreats can still be created if required.
Generally speaking, everything is as one piece. The entire WKA Penthouse is kept in light beige tones. The walls and ceiling also pick up the tone of the regional, brown-grey natural stone in the floor. Where built-in cupboards only appear as a partial element of a wall surface or are not mirrored, their fronts, which run from floor to ceiling, are integrated into their surroundings with high-gloss lacquered gray-brown surfaces. The same applies to the few opaque doors. The architect Bruno Spaas has added a few color accents – for example in the form of a lightning blue seat cushion on the bench in the entrance area, or the pastel blue frames of the drawers in the bathroom. One exception is a walk-in wardrobe, whose clearly structured wooden surfaces are painted in a vibrant forest green. A related tone can also be found elsewhere in the curtain fabrics (should the inside be separated from the outside).
A handful of selected materials come together in harmony, dominated by stone and glass. Matt and glossy surfaces also form balanced contrasts. The design language in the WKA Penthouse is just as carefully chosen. It creates a flowing transition from architecture to interior, accentuated by vertical ribbed structures, clear edges and a few round elements that break up the linear severity. The kitchen islands, the extractor fan as well as the free-standing bathtub or the bench are circular or rounded elements in the middle of the room. These elements are linked together by ribbed sides and a locally produced fine terrazzo. Naturally, the attention to detail extends right down to the last detail. For example, even the lighting in the kitchen takes the form of delicate light rods.
The impression of airy boundlessness – initiated in the spaciousness of the rooms and large window areas that lead the eye horizontally into the distance – is visually extended upwards in the vertical details. In addition, the location of the WKA Penthouse and the soaring architecture of the residential tower echo this boundlessness.
Bram Van Cauter, founder of Studio Okami, also developed a maisonette apartment in Antwerp.Read more about it here.
