Beacon of light on the Ostend horizon

First residential tower in triple A location in final phase

Balconies in architectural concrete, seemingly randomly staggered and connected by aluminum structures and large areas of glass. The sophisticated architecture of SKY Tower One, a building volume of no less than 27 floors, gives the residential tower a remarkable dynamism and airiness. This openness also characterizes the interior spaces, with the magnificent views as an undeniable asset.   

The project application for SKY Tower One dates back to 2017. It still had some feet in the earth - and in the sand - to bring the first beacon of light on the Oostende horizon to fruition. The residential volume is part of the SKY Tower site, which will be fully developed in the coming years. A second stately tower aptly named SKY Tower Two will follow. "In total, this site will have eight buildings," says Sebastiaan De Mey, architect at Arcas Architecture & Urbanism. "In addition to 484 apartments, there will also be a 116-room hotel and property developer Vastgoedgroep Degroote is creating space for offices, commerce and other functions, such as hospitality. It itself will occupy the first floor of SKY Tower One with its offices." A spacious parking lot has been constructed underground. In addition to a rotary parking lot of 153 spaces, there will be 486 private parking spaces and parking for 1,500 bicycles.

Exclusive living in a unique location

An extensive preliminary study preceded the first pencil drawings for the current concept. Real estate group Degroote wanted to give the site of the hotel school at the Ostend marina a worthy new destination. With the Mercator dock on one side and the train station on the other, SKY Tower is in an absolute triple A location. "We conceived this entire site as a building block in the city," De Mey clarifies the implantation and architectural design. "In order to maximally fit in with the surroundings, we gave each facade a unique volume. The site is incised with three towers (one existing and two new). SKY Tower One, on the Mercator side, is the first of those major newcomers."

A prime location on the Belgian coast is not only accompanied by special assets, such as the view and instant vacation feeling. The high wind strength in particular is a challenge that was factored into the design from the outset. De Mey: "This obviously has an impact on the structure of the buildings and especially the foundations, with a view to stability. Yet it is equally important to include wind circulation throughout the site in the concept. After all, you want to prevent the wind from manifesting itself too violently between the buildings. Through targeted and thoughtful interventions, such as the event plaza with trees and the clever implantation of the building blocks, we anticipated this additional complexity."

Horizontal dynamics

SKY Tower One is an accumulation of layers with terraces of different sizes and positionings. These cantilevers stagger seemingly at random. As random as it seems, it is well thought out. The terraces accentuate the horizontality of the residential tower and at the same time guarantee that the apartments below receive extra daylight. A number of double-height apartments bring even more variety to the facade. "Certain pieces of glass are not transparent, but this is almost invisible in the facade, unless up close. It is the result of an intensive search for the appropriate solution for pieces that functionally demanded different qualities than ordinary glass, without compromising aesthetics. That constant pursuit of high-quality detailing makes SKY Tower the coastal reference it will undoubtedly become," De Mey concludes.